Black & Blue
by maydei
Summary: Sonic and company attend a specialized school for human-animal hybrids. New students raise hell and cause trouble, but on the horizon, a darker enemy watches and waits. It's up to Sonic and the gang to protect their city- and the ones that they love. SxS
1. Introduction & Sonic and Knuckles

**Hi, guys! It's me, and I'm back with my first-ever Sonic The Hedgehog fic. I know, I know. Blame my freshmen, for they inspired this monstrosity that isn't even fully (or really even partially) written.**

**Basically, this is what's up for this one- I have something about anthropomorphic characters that makes them impossible for me to write, so for the purposes of this ficlet, Sonic and the gang gave been gijinka-ized, or made into kemonomimi (humans with animal characteristics). This may ruin the whole spirit of Sonic for some of you, but I ask that you be patient with me, especially because I'm a bit out of touch with this fandom. I will, however, but in the time and research to get the personalities of those characters that I'm NOT familiar with (i.e Silver, Blaze, Eggman NEGA, etc) correct. It WILL have a small amount of Sonic X, just because I kind of enjoy it, though it's not canon whatsoever.  
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**This fic, as most to all of my others, will be YAOI/SHOUNEN AI of the Sonic/Shadow variety. It will also contain Knuckles/Rouge, Silver/Blaze, and anything else I feel it needs.  
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**Disclaimer time!**

**Sonic and Co. belong to Sonic Team and Sega. This will hold true throughout the entire fic, since I have no intention of making new characters of any real significance. **

**Thank you for your patience and for hopefully reading this A/N that is possibly longer than the chapter! Without further interruption or complication, I introduce you to the Intro/Chapter One of _Black & Blue__.

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_The year is 2110, human-animal genetic splicing has been deemed a success. These creatures, first successfully made in Japan, are called kemonomimi. They have a majority of human DNA, though possess some animal characteristics, and the population has grown to the point where they can now reproduce outside of a laboratory. An island off the coast of northern California, called Mobius, has been claimed as a territory of the United States, and is the best-known hybridized society in the world. _

_Technology has advanced, and energy is now solar and wind based. Security equipment is now installed with lasers, and missiles are now, though on a smaller scale, nuclear based. Things that never could have been imagined at the turn of the millennium are now possible and within reach._

_The story begins on the island of Mobius in the city of Station Square. A school has been formed for adolescent kemonomimi on the outskirts of the city, located in close proximity to a high school of humans for maximum integration to society and to promote acceptable social behavior between the two species. The facility is based through the grades of kindergarten to twelfth grade to provide the best educational opportunities for the students. This school is called The Station Square Academy for Kemonomimi, and provides dormitories for those who choose to stay at the school._

_The date is August 28, 2110. It is the first day of school._

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A bedraggled boy rolled off his mattress and was sent crashing into the floor. He groaned in pain, pushing himself up into a seated position and glancing at the clock, which blinked a florescent green set of numbers that read seven forty-five.

Equally green eyes blinked, and slender, pale hands rubbed the sleep from them. The boy sighed, glancing mournfully back at his lower bunk and wishing that he had enough time to get some more sleep.

Small, triangular blue ears twitched atop his head, picking up the rumbling snore of his roommate bundled in blankets on the upper level of the bunk bed. The boy dragged his hand back through mussed blue spikes of his hair, surprisingly soft, considering his animal of origin.

The boy stood, slender and of medium height, and put his feet atop his mattress to push himself up to wake his sleeping roommate.

"Knuckles," he said, shaking the fleece-covered lump. "Knuckles, wake up. First day of school. We need to get ready so we can pick up the others at their dorm."

Said lump groaned, and a tanned hand reached out from under the covers to bat him away. The blue-haired boy grabbed the hand and tugged on it insistently.

"Come _on_, Knuckles. You're such a slowpoke," the boy sighed irritably, climbing down from the bunk and padding lightly into the adjoined bathroom.

He made a face when he saw his hair in the mirror, reaching for the sink tap before hesitating- he shook his head and wet his hands, pulling them through his spikes and tugging out a few snarls. He smoothed the azure locks back from his face, pouting when one spike flopped over his forehead.

"Fine," he grumbled. "You win another day, hair. Someday, I'll just cut you all off, and who will be laughing then, huh?" He scowled at himself in the mirror, rolling his eyes as a stuttered snore drifted in through the doorway. "Damn it, Knuckles, get _up_!"

He took hold of a small, brown bristled hairbrush and threw it at the boy on the top bunk. "Amy's gonna kill us if we're late."

The other boy sat up abruptly, throwing the covers back and rolling over to the side of the bunk, his feet kicking slightly as he reached for purchase on the carpeted floor. Well-muscled and tan, he was easily the boy's opposite, and a good four inches taller as well. Medium-length red dreadlocks fell straight to his broad shoulders, and he walked irritably to the dresser, pulling it open and tugging a red muscle-tank over his head.

"You're a pain in the ass, Sonic," he growled. "And Amy should be able to walk _herself_ to breakfast. She's in seventh grade now- you and I were beating each other up when we were in seventh grade."

The blue-haired boy, Sonic, shrugged with a slight smile. "Yeah, yeah, but Amy is a girl. And you know as well as I do that she could get into just as many fights as we did if she could be bothered to try. It's not her that I'm worried about, anyway." Sonic turned back to the mirror, pulling out a blue toothbrush and lathering small sharp teeth with minty foam.

Knuckles hummed vaguely in agreement, hopping place as he pulled a pair of tight, red jeans over his legs. He then reached for a white-crescent necklace on a thin gold chain, locking the clasp behind his neck and straightening it on his chest. "Yeah, well, Tails will get there, too. If he's anything like you were at that age, he'll be in detention in no time."

Sonic spat the toothpaste into the sink, rinsing it down and sticking the tiny brush under the stream of water. "We both know that he's nothing like I was. He's a good kid, and too smart for his own good." He walked back into the bedroom and to his dresser, sifting through clothes to find what he was looking for. "Do you know what he told me the other day?"

"What?"

Sonic snorted softly, pulling out a pair of blue athletic shorts with a thick white stripe on either side. "He said that the board was thinking of skipping him another grade. It's ridiculous! He's already going to be a freshmen this year, and he's _eight_. He's going to have enough trouble with the others this year, anyway. If they put him up any higher, he's gonna get eaten alive by the other kids in his grade. They're already twice his age. Sure, he'll whiz through the work and make them wonder whether or not they should just send him to college, but sooner or later, some huge brute that's not half as smart as he is will get pissed about having a kid like him in his grade. Tails will end up hurt, and no one will do _anything_ about it but me."

Knuckles sat on the edge of Sonic's bunk, pulling on socks and his red-and-orange sneakers, green ankle straps crossing securely over the gray tongue of the shoe and fastening on the other side.

"You know that's not true," he said. "You know that all of us would be there for him. It wouldn't be just you, Sonic. We all love the kid. Even Cream would chuck a fit if anything happened to him."

Sonic laughed to himself, pulling on a white tank top and leaving a long-sleeved, lightweight blue shirt unbuttoned over it. He slipped a long, thin chain over his head, its only pendant a plain, thick gold ring.

"I know. Sometimes I wish that Tails could be more like Cream, though, you know? Just a normal kid in third grade, having fun with his friends instead of building laser-equipped planes and god-knows-what else."

The redhead sighed, walking into the bathroom and turning on the sink, talking loudly over the hum of the tap. "He'd never be _normal_, Sonic. None of us are. We're human-animal hybrids, and Tails is proof of that more than any of us. We got off lucky- me with this ridiculous hair-quill stuff that I can only manage by keeping it in dreads, and you with blue hair and a pair of ears that you could pass of as a headband of something."

Sonic frowned at that, sliding plain white athletic gloves over his hands and fastening the wrist straps. "I guess."

He stuck his feet into his red sneakers, tapping the toes on the ground before sitting on his bunk, leaning over to pull white support-straps through gold buckles. He stood, hands reaching above his head and leaning backwards, spine cracking loudly. Sonic sighed in relief, rolling his neck and hearing that pop into place as well.

"Are you ready?" he asked as Knuckles emerged from the bathroom, flicking off the light.

"Yeah," the redhead replied, reaching to his dresser for a pair of studded fingerless gloves and his keys.

"Alright, well let's get going. We need to make sure that Chip is awake, too… but then again, maybe not. That kid is always starving. It's a wonder that he's not fat. He must have a high metabolism or something, because he's lazy as hell, too."

Knuckles grinned, turning the lock on the inside handle of the door and closing it behind them. "And he's still a shrimp."

Sonic returned the smile before looking at his thin black phone, the face of a pink-haired girl scowling at him along with the words _accept video call? _He poked the button for yes, holding it in front of him.

"_Where are you?_" The girl screeched. "_Did you forget that Cream has to be at school in forty-five minutes and I have to be there in an hour?_"

The boy groaned. "It's Knuckles' fault," he replied, pushing the phone into the surprised and indignant redhead's hands. "Yell at him."

He couldn't help the grin that threatened to split his face as he listened to the twelve-year-old reprimand the high-school senior. Yes, he'd missed this over the summer.

It was good to be back.


	2. Meet the Gang & Bad Secret Keeper

**Here it is, nice and early guys, though I don't think anyone has even read the first chapter yet... Chapter Two! **

**As for Mr. Stewart's name, I couldn't find one, so I used the first name of his voice actor, Andrew... hope that's okay! :) **

**Standard disclaimer applies. Not mine.

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Sonic and Knuckles jogged across campus to pick up the rest of the gang. After Amy chewed out the redheaded echidna-hybrid, all he wanted was to go get the kids to stop their complaining.

"Serves you right for being such a slowpoke!" Sonic exclaimed, turning to jog backwards. "I told you that we were gonna be late, but did you listen? _No_, Knuckles is too _good_ to listen to anyone!"

Knuckles rolled his eyes, throwing a half-assed punch that Sonic easily dodged. "Shut up. I didn't realize that Cream moved up to the Elementary School wing. I don't see why it matters, anyway, since she lives at home!" He frowned. "Isn't she an only child?"

Sonic shrugged. "I think so. It's pretty uncommon, especially among rabbit-hybrids, but it happens sometimes. Sure, most kemonomimi are born in litters, but I think it's definitely easier on Vanilla to only have Cream, considering she also has those two little boys to look after."

Knuckles' brow furrowed. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about them."

"And we have to worry about Cream because her mother works in the morning and drops her off here before she goes to work. It's easier for her if Cream can stay with Amy and get fed here, since she goes to school here and all." Sonic spun on his heel, jogging in small circles around Knuckles.

"Quit that," the older boy growled. "You're making me dizzy."

"I can't help it!" Sonic whined. "You're just so slow! It's no wonder that you're the 'field' aspect of Track and Field. You're all muscle, no agility whatsoever."

"Not true!" Knuckles protested. "Martial arts takes plenty of agility. I can move plenty fast, just not for freakish amounts of time like you can."

"I just have plenty of stamina," Sonic replied, blinking. "I don't get why everyone else can't run like I can. It's not like I do anything special."

"You've always been running, though," Knuckles reminded him. "I never knew a time that you didn't. It makes no sense. Maybe you're not a hedgehog, after all, or human. Maybe you're a machine."

Sonic moved to his side, a slight pout on his lips. "I'm not a machine, and I'm definitely a hedgehog." He pointed to his hair. "Quills, see? And I can curl into a ball like nobody's business."

Knuckles poked at the blue spikes. "Those aren't quills, idiot, it's definitely hair. Not like mine, where if I let it grow separately it'll stab me in the neck. I have to keep it bunched together to protect myself from bodily harm. Not to mention that it's _blue_. And I _know_ that shit isn't from a bottle. I've known you for too long and we've had too many awkward moments for me not to know _that_ for sure."

Sonic rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the faint blush that was proof of his embarrassment. "Hey, hey, it's not my fault that you didn't knock on the bathroom door that one time before you barged in, dumbass. I was trying to change."

Knuckles shrugged, his cheeks tinged with red as well. "I was fourteen and impatient, it's not my fault." He coughed slightly. "Look, there's the others."

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Sonic skidded to a stop in front of the Elementary/Middle School dorms where the group waited. Amy, a pink-haired hedgehog hybrid in a red sundress, held the hand of Cream, a blonde floppy-eared rabbit-hybrid in a yellow sundress. Tails, a blonde fox-hybrid, sat on the bench next to Chip, a purple-haired… well, no one _knew_ what Chip was, including Chip himself. The kid had some memory issues, it seemed.

Tails had a scruffy mop of almost yellow hair, complete with bangs that puffed up in the front and wouldn't lie flat. A pair of large, yellow ears with white tips were placed on the side of his head, complimented by his two fluffy yellow-and-white tails, which spawned his nickname when he was very young. He was dressed in an orange hoodie and beige pants, white-gloved hands pulling at a string on the pouch of his sweatshirt, his feet clad in red and white sneakers. Aquamarine eyes were covered by slightly-scratched safety glasses.

Chip, as always, looked like his stomach was attempting to eat its way out of his belly. Purple hair was curled tight to his head, brown eyes narrowed miserably. A white t-shirt was covered by a zipper-front purple sweatshirt, skinny legs covered by white shorts and feet by purple flip-flops.

When the two boys saw Sonic, they jumped to their feet, Tails bouncing into Sonic's arms in a welcomed hug and Chip attaching to the hedgehog's arm and begging to go to breakfast.

"Hey, Tailsy," Sonic said with a grin, ruffling the blonde mop. "Sleep well?"

"Uh-huh!" Tails replied with a wide smile. "I finished the motherboard for the computer mechanism for the new plane! You _have_ to come see it later."

"I will," Sonic promised.

Amy pouted until Sonic shot her a little wave, pale face flooded by a blush and anger swamped by embarrassment. "You should have been here sooner," she said softly. "We're hungry, and we need to get Cream to school soon."

Sonic rolled his eyes, released by Tails, and swooped the petite rabbit-hybrid into his arms, settling her on his hip. "Sorry, Cream. Knucklehead just didn't want to wake up." He winked at the small girl, who smiled.

"That's alright, Mr. Sonic. He must have been very tired."

Knuckles rubbed the back of his head, slightly ashamed for making the unwaveringly-polite girl wait for her food. "Let's get going, guys, before the line to the dining hall is out the door."

Amy skipped ahead of the group, Sonic and Knuckles watching the younger children. Cream sat comfortably on Sonic's hip, Tails attached to the teen's other hand. Chip toddled along behind Knuckles, swaying every so often and stomach growling.

"Hey, hey, Sonic," Tails started. "Where's Silver and Blaze? Didn't they say that they'd eat with us today?"

Sonic glanced at the tiny fox-boy. "I dunno. I think they had some summer homework left over that they didn't understand and went in to see the new teacher. I'm sure they'll eat with us tomorrow, though."

Tails frowned and sighed before his ever-animated ears perked up and he smiled. "Probably. Or maybe they didn't want to hang out with us because of Knuckles."

The echidna sighed. "Hey, that cat-girl was asking for it. It's not my fault that she doesn't like me. It was a misunderstanding. Or so Sonic says."

"It _was_," Sonic insisted. "I've told you that a thousand times."

The dining hall was a large brick building with two floors, escalators on the inside going up and down to ferry kids to the kitchens and dining rooms. Sonic nudged Tails onto the step in front of him, keeping Cream on his hip. Chip followed behind Sonic, and Knuckles behind him. Amy had disappeared to find the group a table.

Chip rushed off to fill his plate with everything he could find, Knuckles following in exasperation. Sonic helped the smaller kids fill their plates and balanced them on a cafeteria tray, attempting to keep both close and carry the plates at the same time while he searched for Amy.

Animal hybrids of every shape and size filled the dining hall, hair in varying colors of the rainbow, some locks even two-toned. Animals from cheetahs to wolves and everything in between could be found at the Station Square Academy for Kemonomimi. It was one of the benefits of living in the best-known kemonomimi society in the world- even as a blue-haired hedgehog, he didn't stand out as much as some.

Sonic smirked to himself. Even so, he knew that he was well-known. Between he and Knuckles, Silver, Blaze and his other friends, he was rumored to he a half-crazy gang member with a need for speed. All of which, he supposed, was true, to some extent. Half crazy was debatable, but he certainly _looked_ like a gang member (and maybe he was, he'd never really thought about it before) and he _did_ have a need for speed.

But the thing that everyone knew best about Sonic the Hedgehog was _not_ to mess with his family.

Because that's what the kids were, his family. Maybe not by blood, but he had taken them all in at an early age, and as far as he was concerned, they were his little brothers and sisters. Especially Tails- Sonic had a real soft-spot for the tiny genius.

Knuckles, Silver and Blaze were like siblings, too- Knuckles, of course, since they had found each other early on. Their relationship was certainly tough-love, but he couldn't imagine what life would be like without the older hybrid to keep him in line. Silver the Hedgehog and Blaze the Cat, well, their relationship started rocky when Silver was misinformed that Sonic had ruined an important project for one of his classes. Silver and Sonic hashed it out, but not before Knuckles picked a fight with Blaze and left the two hedgehogs to break it up and smooth it over.

Sonic spotted Amy in the far corner of one of the rooms, tugging the smaller kids over and settling them into the inside seats, he and Knuckles taking the outside seats of the booth. Any and Cream sat the most to the wall on either side, leaving Tails and Chip in the middle.

The group ate with some moderate chatter, Sonic and Knuckles carefully keeping an eye on the clock and taking up the empty plates when it was time to leave. They ferried the kids out of the dining hall and _back_ across campus to drop Cream off first at the Elementary School, Sonic running in with her to make sure she was settled in (and strategically avoiding the cooing teacher going on about what a good 'brother' he was) before they brought Amy and Chip over the Middle School. Sonic thought about bringing them in as well, but Knuckles insisted that Amy was bossy enough for both of them and that she would get Chip to class on time.

Sonic held tight to the little blonde fox's hand as they waded through the crowd of teens surrounding the high school. A few murmured in surprise at seeing the young boy, but dual glares from Knuckles and Sonic shut them up before anyone gave Tails a hard time.

Sonic and Knuckles both walked Tails to his class, making sure that he had everything he needed and that the teacher was aware of the boy's situation, getting the ridiculously bright boy a seat at the front of the room. Just as they were saying goodbye, the warning bell rang and the two glanced at each other in surprise. With a last ruffle of blonde hair, Sonic and Knuckles took off as fast as they could for their classroom that was on the other side of the school.

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They skidded into the classroom with only seconds to spare, grinning at the success and exchanging high fives, ignoring the snickers of their classmates and the surprised look of the new teacher. They settled into seats next to Silver and Blaze, the white-haired boy and violet-haired girl placed in the back corner.

"Cutting it close, there, Sonic," Silver admonished.

The blue hedgehog grinned, tiny ears twitching as he held back a laugh. "You know me, Silver, I'm _never_ late."

The eldest of the group rolled his eyes, shrugging toward the cat-girl with a small smile. She returned the grin and leaned back in her chair, the front two legs lifting off the ground and carefully balancing herself.

The new teacher turned to write on the board, Sonic watching as he spelled out his name in handwriting like he had never seen from a teacher, cramped and crooked. _Mr. Stewart_, the board said. _English_.

"It sure doesn't look like English," Knuckles grumbled, making the other three snicker in agreement.

The teacher took a long time looking awkwardly at the flat-screened computer on his desk, then up at the room and counting students. Sonic's foot tapped irritable on the floor as he waited for the teacher to just _say_ something or at least check off names on the computer rather than just _stare_ at it.

He cleared his throat, running a hand back through his straight blonde hair, fiddling with a pair of blonde ears and adjusting his teal-framed glasses. Sonic cleared his throat when the man didn't speak, starting him and making him glance around the room.

"Yes, so… as you can see, I'm Mr. Stewart," the man started. "Um… Andrew Stewart. I'll be your teacher for most of your subjects this year. As you may be able to tell, I haven't been a teacher for very long… so please be patient with me, and as long as you try your best, I'll try my best, too." He offered a smile that was obviously supposed to look friendly, but only made him look more nervous.

"I suppose I should take attendance, and then I can go around the room and learn all of your names." The man opened his mouth to start when one girl raised her hand, frowning. A pair of pointed gray ears sat atop her head and a fluffy tail from her spine- a wolf-girl.

"Yes?"

"You're a human," the girl said, frowning more. The class started murmuring, obviously wondering whether or not it was true. Wolf-girls were rarely wrong in their conclusions about people- they could smell everything from an increase in blood pressure to a change in emotion, and just because the man had ears didn't mean he was a hybrid. And the school _was_ meant for kemonomimi exclusively, after all.

"I am," he agreed, reaching up to fiddle with the (now, obviously) fake ears again. "How did you know that?"

The girl pouted like she had been offended. "Well, you _smell_ different, of course!"

The man tilted his head, frowning. "Oh. I didn't know that." He looked frustrated. "Oh. Well, now that you all know, please don't tell anyone."

Blaze sat up, the legs of her chair clacking on the floor. "Why not?"

The man swallowed. "Because no one is supposed to know that I'm not one of you. I'm here from the government to make sure the school is running properly."

Sonic snorted, and Silver frowned, puzzled. "If you are, then why are you telling us? Aren't government agents supposed to be more… I don't know, sneaky?"

Stewart frowned. "It's not really that big of a deal if you guys know. You're going to be my class, whether or not I'm human. I'm basically here just to make sure that things run smoothly."

Sonic and Knuckles glanced at each other before they shrugged, and the rest of the class seemed content with the answer as well. The man visibly relaxed when he realized that there would be no more questions.

"Alright, so I'll take attendance now. When I call your name, please say 'here'. Jeannine."

"Here."

"Mike."

"Here."

"Cherry."

"Here."

"Axel."

"Here."

"Um… Knuckles?"

The echidna rolled his eyes. "Here."

"Oh, okay… Sonic."

The hedgehog grinned. "Present."

The entire class snickered, even the ever-nervous Stewart cracked a smile before continuing on. The process went smoothly until he reached the last name.

"Shadow."

Sonic frowned, looking around the room- to some extent, he knew everyone in the room, and there was no one here named _Shadow_. The entire class murmured to themselves as Stewart repeated the name, turning away from the computer and frowning, scanning the room for anyone that perhaps wasn't paying attention or something of the sort.

"Who's _that_?" The wolf girl from before, Cherry, asked, pointing at the door.

The group collectively turned in their chairs to see a teen leaning in the doorway, head tilted to the side slightly as he said,

"Here."


	3. Hubris & Memories

**Here we are with chapter three! Not much to say about this one, other than that Shadow and Rouge make their appearances. Hope you enjoy!**

**Standard disclaimer applies.

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Sonic eyed the newcomer with a combined sense of amazement and annoyance. He looked interesting, but at the same time looked too stuck up for Sonic to want to bother befriending him. From the way that crimson-lined crimson eyes scanned the room and its inhabitants- and lingered on Sonic- he could tell the dark-haired boy was intrigued as well.

Though it wasn't really surprising, Sonic realized- because the two looked almost exactly alike.

Black hair curved back into sleek spikes, streaked with strands of red. The teen was approximately as tall as Sonic and just as slender, lightly muscled, but built more for speed than for power. Though his skin was admittedly a bit tanner than Sonic's, it had the same effect- a few freckles over the bridge of the nose and on the temples. Small, triangular ears were placed high on his head, furred the same black as his hair.

A red tank just barely showed from under the front of a zip-up leather jacket, the front triangled in red, though the rims of the pockets and shoulder straps were gold. The collar was furred thickly with white fluff. Hands were encased by white fingerless gloves and each wrist was circled by a thick, gold bracelet.

Black, skintight jeans held tight from slender hips to thin ankles, which were hidden by white, red and black sneakers, two golden-yellow wheels barely hidden in the sole underneath each. A black and red bag was slung over one shoulder, embossed with the words _ARK Academy, Track and Field._

_A runner, huh?_ Sonic thought, grinning. _Perfect. Another rival. Though I can't imagine running with those shoes._

The silence was broken by Mr. Stewart. "You're Shadow, then?"

Red eyes narrowed slightly. "I believe that _is_ what I said, yes."

Sonic blinked. _Forget that, the guy's a jerk!_ He shot Knuckles a look, who was still apparently stumped, glancing between the two hybrids.

Stewart stuttered out an apology, gesturing for the newcomer to take a seat in the middle row of desks. The boy sighed, dropping his bag at his side with a thud as he slid into the chair.

Stewart glanced around again, noticing that his students still seemed to be distracted by the teen and cleared his throat. "So, what I suppose we'll do is go around the room… say your name and what kind of kemonomimi you are, okay? Let's start here."

Sonic wasn't paying much attention as they weaved through the students' names and animals, still too focused on the other. He wondered _how_, exactly, someone could look so extraordinarily like him when they'd never met, and _what_ made him think that he could be an ass to Stewart. Sure, the guy was new, but _he_ was newer than the teacher…

"I'm Blaze the Cat."

"Silver the Hedgehog."

Knuckles elbowed Sonic when he realized the other wasn't paying attention, rattling out, "Knuckles, and I'm an Echidna."

Sonic blinked, scowling at his absent-mindedness as he added, "Sonic the Hedgehog."

He couldn't place exactly why the sudden flash in the dark-haired boys unsettled him, and why he felt so uncomfortable under his heavy stare.

If Knuckles hadn't elbowed him again, he would have missed altogether what the boy said next. "Shadow the Hedgehog."

Sonic's eyes narrowed. It really was nothing suspicious, to be a hedgehog hybrid, even though there were only three in Station Square Academy- now four. It was suspicious because, though Silver and Sonic and Amy were all the same animal species, they looked nothing alike- but Sonic and Shadow looked almost eerily identical.

Stewart frowned at that, glancing between Sonic and Shadow, opening his mouth to say something but decided better of it, moving on around the room. He smiled faintly when everyone had finished, adding, "And as you all know, my name is Andrew Stewart, and I am a human. I majored in English at college, but I'm still rather unfamiliar with teaching, so please be patient. The system here is a bit different from the mainland, as well. Where I come from, every class has a different teacher, so I apologize if I'm not as thorough as some of your past teachers."

He hesitated, thinking about whether there was anything more to say. He must have come up with nothing, because he said, "I guess that's it. We'll start with English today, so if you guys can take out your notebooks, we'll start with defining the word 'hubris'…"

Sonic snickered at Knuckles' aggravated mumbling- he hated English. He figured that if they already spoke the language, they shouldn't have to take the class. Sonic didn't mind it too much- he liked to read, as long as the book was interesting.

He scrawled the written definition into his blue spiral notebook. _Hubris: extreme arrogance; an excess of pride._ His eyes narrowed- now who did _that_ sound like? He shot a glare at the back of the newcomer's head.

Thin shoulders tensed slightly, as if he had felt the look on the back of his neck, and the new guy- _Shadow_- threw a glare back at Sonic from over his shoulder.

If Sonic was being honest, he would admit that being on the receiving end of that red-eyed glare intimidated him slightly, but at Knuckles' confused look, Sonic forced a grin and whispered, "You know, I just can't take him seriously with that makeup."

If looks could kill, Sonic would most likely be in pieces and buried under the school by now. He only shot the black-haired hedgehog a cheesy grin, which only widened when said hedgehog turned in his seat with an aggravated huff.

Ever oblivious, Stewart asked, "Can anyone give me an example of 'hubris' in a text?"

Silver's hand was in the air first by a long shot, but the teacher called on Shadow instead. "Yes, Shadow?"

"Probably the best example would be _Julius Caesar_ by William Shakespeare."

Stewart smiled vaguely. "That is generally the most recognized example of hubris, since Caesar's excessive pride proved to be his downfall. Very good. So, class…"

Sonic scowled when Shadow tossed a smirk back over his shoulder turning back to the front and settling comfortably into his chair.

_So you want to play, huh?_ He snarled in his head, fists clenching. _Then let's go. I'll lay you out before you know what hit you._

Knuckles nudged Sonic with his shoulder, easily sensing the murderous aura around his friend. He sighed- Sonic always was too competitive for his own good.

* * *

"Just who does he think he is?" The blue-haired hedgehog growled, his fist slamming down onto the booth table, toppling Tails' (thankfully) empty juice glass. "He's such an ass- I mean jerk. I mean seriously, what kind of guy acts like that on his first day at a brand new school?"

Knuckles frowned disapprovingly at Sonic's use of language, glancing at Tails, who hadn't seemed to notice, too preoccupied with a math packet and whizzing through it like nobody's business. "Obviously a guy who thinks he's all that. You saw him when he first came in, leaning against the doorway like he was all cool and shi- stuff. He must have been a real hotshot at his old school and thinks that he can just walk in and own this place, too."

Sonic scowled, rolling a cherry tomato around his plate with his fork. "Well, he's got another thing coming if he thinks he can sweep _my_ feet out from under me. I'll take him down and show him who _really_ rules this place."

Knuckles opened his mouth to reply when Tails proclaimed, "Done!" With a grin and tucked his homework away into his bag. Both teens looked at him, surprised.

"You're done already?" Knuckles asked. "You just started five minutes ago!"

Tails' smile grew. "It's really interesting, and I can't help going fast when I'm interested."

Sonic smothered his anger for Tails' sake, nudging the small boy and saying, "That's my Tails. Good job, buddy. Got anything else to do?"

Tails frowned, digging around in his bag for a moment before shaking his head. "Nu-uh. I forgot to bring the memory chip I wanted to fix. What are you guys talking about?"

Knuckles frowned and Sonic sighed, replying, "Just a new guy in our class who isn't very nice."

"Oh," the boy said. "What did he do?"

"He's just being rude," Knuckles cut in before Sonic could begin his rant again. "And he thinks that he's better than everyone else."

The boy leaned back against the booth, frowning as his large ears twitched. "Maybe someone should tell him that he's being mean."

"Oh, he knows," Sonic grumbled. "He definitely knows."

Tails looked up at Sonic in surprise, bright blue eyes widening behind the clear plastic of his safety glasses. "But I thought that everyone was supposed to be nice to each other! I thought that if you told people that they were being mean, that they would try to do better."

Knuckles smiled a little- Tails really was naïve, but he was a good kid. "Some people do, but some people don't know how to be nice. They didn't have awesome friends like me and Sonic when they were growing up to teach them."

Tails' ears drooped. "What about his parents?"

Sonic hissed softly, throwing a glare at the abashed looking echidna. Parents were a sore subject for the little blonde. He, like many of the kids in Sonic's group, had never met them, or couldn't remember them. Cream was one of the lucky ones- her mom had stuck around to raise her, unlike most of the little ones that were either left on a doorstep , hoping a family could take them in, or the parents just left the entire litter in a cardboard box on the street.

_Parents,_ Sonic thought. _I'll never understand them._ "I don't know. Maybe he didn't have any, like the rest of us."

Tails whined under his breath, and Sonic nudged him in the side.

"Cheer up, buddy. I'm sure he was just in a bad moon today. He probably didn't want to leave his friends at his old school, you know?"

"That's right," Knuckles hastily agreed. "He probably didn't want to leave the place where he grew up. I'm sure he'll feel better soon."

Tails glanced between them, nodding a little hesitantly. "If you say so."

A flash of black passed through the edge of Sonic's vision, and he turned to see Shadow sliding into a booth across from a tan, white-haired girl with a rather large chest that was barely covered by a low-cut pink shirt. Knuckles frowned, eyeing the girl before Sonic shot a grin his way.

"She's pretty, huh?" He teased. "Do you think she's his girlfriend?"

Knuckles' face colored red and he scowled, looking away. "I don't care. She's nothing special."

Tails tilted his head, looking at the two that were across the room. "Who's that?"

Sonic turned to Tails with a half-smirk. "That's the guy we were talking about, but I don't know who the girl is."

Tails' eyes widened, looking between Sonic and Shadow before he exclaimed, "He looks just like you!"

Sonic's smile fell from his face. "Don't remind me," he grumbled, returning to push his tomato around his plate. He didn't get it, either. A resemblance was one thing, but _this_ was completely something else.

Knuckles sighed, gathering the plates and sliding out of the booth to take them up. Sonic mumbled a vague 'thanks', his foot tapping irritably against the ground.

"This _sucks,_" he sighed.

"You said it," Tails agreed, frowning.

Sonic didn't have the heart to reprimand him for his language.

* * *

Shadow was cornered by Rouge as soon as he walked into the dining hall. The bat kemonomimi had her hands on her hips, blue-shadowed green eyes narrowed and a fierce scowl on her face.

"_Where_ did you go this morning? You were supposed to check in with Ivo and Nega, but from the text I got in the middle of class, you never did. What was up with that?"

He crossed his arms, frowning. "I misjudged the distance between our classrooms, so I was late in getting to class. The teacher was an idiot, and a _human_ to boot. He _told_ us that he was from the government."

"_Government?_" The girl gasped. "So _that_'s why."

He shrugged. "He said it was something about the school system, but I thought that it might be best to avoid drawing attention to us. Nega and Ivo just want to stay out of trouble at this point, and this seemed like the best place to do it without the government's interference. The last thing we need are agents nosing around in our business looking for an arms race where there isn't one."

Rouge sighed, running a hand through her short, white hair. "But there _was_ one, and they have every right to be suspicious. We just have to be careful to not get caught up in it if they try it again." Her face fell slightly. "They _did_ take us in, Shadow, but it's getting to be ridiculous with the amount of trouble they get in. We're almost old enough to be on our own. If we can stay out of trouble for the next school year, we won't have to deal with it anymore. Isn't that what you want?"

He swallowed, forcing his arms back to his sides as he envisioned a flash of blonde hair. He _would not_ start. Not here, not now. Not ever.

"I don't know what I want."

Her eyes scanned his face, sighing before she grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him up the escalators, leaving him alone only to get his own food so she could find a table. He sighed- he had known Rouge for most of his life, but she could be such a mother hen sometimes.

But he had to agree with her. He couldn't afford to get involved in the Robotniks' trouble again. Not after last time.

He balanced his plate and cup on a tray, weaving his way through the crowded dining hall to find the small booth that Rouge had managed to claim. He slid in across from her, asking, "So how was your first half of the day?"

She snorted. "Fine, I suppose. My teacher is a hard-ass, but what can you expect? It happens, especially in senior year. Which I don't exactly understand, because everyone knows that junior year is the hardest and senior year is for slacking off and applications for university."

He hummed in agreement, eyes wandering the room. This school was so different than ARK Academy. There were no uniforms, no armed guards, no chain-link fences. Everyone here looked… happy, to some extent. They weren't the demoralized and emotionless students of his former school, nor the beaten-down culprits of a big city.

They had passion and… fire. Dreams, hopes, real _friends_, rather than allies.

"Earth to Shadow. Are you even listening to me?"

Shadow glanced up in surprise. He hadn't even realized that she'd spoken again. "Sorry," he said. "I was distracted."

She huffed, but conceded. "It's so different here. So much color, so much life."

He nodded, his eyes again scanning the room and focusing on blue. He blinked- it was that blue hedgehog and his redheaded friend, both frowning and attempting to console a small blonde boy who couldn't have been more than ten. He hummed contemplatively, but there was no way that he could hear what was being said over the buzz of chatter.

"What are you looking at?" Rouge asked, curiously turning to inspect the booths on the opposite side of the room.

"Those three in the booth over there. The child, shouldn't he be in school?" That was the way Shadow did things, of course- he was best at distracting people from what he was really feeling or thinking. Only one person had ever succeeded in decoding his hidden way of communicating.

"Oh," Rouge said, her head tilted. "I heard about that kid. He's a freshman here, apparently the smartest thing the school board has ever seen. He's eight." She frowned. "I hope those kids aren't bullying the little guy. He looks upset, and they look too old to be his friends."

"They're seniors, like us," Shadow said, ignoring Rouge's surprised glance. "They're in my class."

She hummed under her breath, and Shadow watched as her face suddenly colored and she turned away.

"What?"

She laughed awkwardly, her dainty hands covering her flushed cheeks. "It's nothing. The redhead, he's attractive, though, huh?"

His eyes narrowed slightly, eyebrows raising. "I hadn't noticed," he replied dryly, turning back to his food. He picked through his salad, carefully avoiding the tomatoes and separating the carrots from the lettuce.

Rouge made another surprised noise, and he looked up.

"What is it now?"

"The other guy, he looks just like you. Are you related or something?"

Shadow snorted, replying, "I certainly hope not. He's arrogant and annoying, and I certainly wouldn't want someone like _that_ in my bloodline."

"Sounds like _someone_ had a bit of a run-in. What happened?" Rouge leaned forward, propping up her chin on her hands.

"Nothing," he growled. "He just commented on my style, it was aggravating. And he acts like he owns the school."

Rouge made a sympathetic face. "Did he comment on the eye makeup?"

He scowled at her, ignoring her grin at his reaction. He pushed away his plate, no longer hungry, and directed his frown to the table.

She sighed, gathering her plate and his. "Make sure to tell your look-alike that if he does anything to that little boy that I'll hunt him down, got it?" Her gaze was stern and his frown melted away. He looked up and shrugged.

"I suppose. Don't expect me to get involved in your issues, though."

"That's fine," she replied tersely. "I just don't want a kid to get pushed around by some older guys just because they're bigger and think they're tough."

"Your protective instinct is on overdrive. You may as well adopt the boy, Rouge." He reclined back against the cushioned separation wall, crossing his arms.

She shot him a smirk, replying, "Maybe I will."

He rolled his eyes. "The last thing we need is a little one in the family."

Her face fell slightly and she collected her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. "You're right," she admitted. "That's the last thing a good kid like him needs."

"He may not be a good kid, Rouge. You don't know him."

"Do you?" She snapped, and walked away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Shadow closed his eyes for a moment, trying to ignore the way that an all-too-familiar voice echoed in his head, the way that pale skin stuck in his memory, bathed in sticky red that smelled like metal.

"I don't," he said aloud to himself, pushing himself out of the booth.

"And I don't want to."


	4. Threats & Promises

**Hey, all! Another chapter, and I'll admit that this one gave me a bit of trouble, so it took a bit longer than I expected. It's really hard to keep Shadow in character!Also, a snippet of Vector, who I don't really know too well, but I think he'll be a bit of comic relief every once in a while. Unfortunately not in this chapter- quite a bit of drama!**

**Woohoo, past angst. Enjoy, lovelies, and if you have any thoughts, don't hesitate to drop me a line and give me suggestions, even if it's just what you want to see or think would work well or pointers on personalities! :D**

**Standard disclaimer applies. Not mine. *sniffles* **

**Just a warning, quite a bit of profanity in this one. If it bothers you, close your eyes and sing the Teletubbies theme song or something, cause I don't tone it down for anyone but me... nah, not even me! Rated M for a reason. 3**

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Sonic and Knuckles rejoined Blaze and Silver in the classroom, settling into their seats and waiting for everyone else to file in. They chatted aimlessly about stupid little things, all eager to get the first day over and done with.

"You guys get to go right to your rooms, though," Knuckles complained. "Sonic and I have track tryouts."

Blaze rolled her eyes. "I don't see why you have to try out. Everyone know that you guys are the best two on the team. The coach should just cut you a permanent break from tryouts."

"It's not like we'll ever have to do them again," Sonic replied, shrugging. "And since it's warm enough here, we get to go all year. If you get on the team the first semester, you don't have to try out again for the second. I think that's fair."

"Still," Silver said. "You beat the _national record_ for the fastest high school boy's mile. That _has_ to count for something."

Sonic grinned sheepishly and shrugged. "I don't really mind, though. All I have to do is run a few laps, and all Knuckles has to do is a few rounds of shot-put. It's not like it's a big two-hour deal like it was the first time. Basically, Coach just has to make sure that we're still in shape and didn't just fuck off over the summer."

"Ha! Like Knuckles would ever stop weight training," Silver snorted.

"Or Sonic would stop running," Blaze agreed. "Completely ridiculous."

Sonic was about to comment back when a dark shadow fell over him and Knuckles' brows furrowed. He turned.

Shadow stood there, arms crossed, staring down at Sonic with such an intense gaze that the blue hedgehog wondered if the other was attempting to read his mind.

"Yo," Sonic said, though it sounded like more of a question than a statement of greeting. "You want something?"

The other rolled his neck before he answered. "My friend told me to tell you something."

Sonic and Knuckles exchanged glances before looking back at the other.

"And?" Knuckles asked.

The dark-haired boy scowled, ears twitched in irritation as he replied, "It's about that boy you were with at lunch. She says that if you do anything to him, she'll hunt you down and that she doesn't want a kid to get hurt by a couple of guys who are bigger and think they're tough."

Blaze and Silver's mouths dropped open, Knuckles looked like he was going to punch someone and Sonic jumped to his feet, held back by his redheaded friend.

"You son of a bitch!" Sonic hissed.

Shadow scowled, eyes narrowing dangerously. "I'm just relaying what she said. Don't shoot the messenger."

"I would _never_ hurt Tails. I took that boy in when he was just a kit. You can tell your friend _that._ Tails is my responsibility, and you better hope that you don't so much as _look_ at him the wrong way!"

A small, mean smirk spread over the other's lips. "Poor kid."

Silver and Blaze jumped in to hold back both of them- no easy task with the way they were struggling to get to the unfazed black hedgehog kemonomimi.

"You wanna say that again-"

"Ooh, when I get my hands on you-"

"Guys, calm down-"

"Arrogant bastard!" Sonic growled. "You don't know who you're messing with."

The smirk faded fast from Shadow's lips as he stepped forward, the two close enough to bump heads as Shadow hissed, "_You_ don't know what I'm capable of."

"Watch yourself."

Shadow barked out a laugh. "Or what? You couldn't hurt me if you tried. You're all talk, faker."

"_Faker?_ You're lucky they're holding me back or I'd show you _exactly_ how fake I am!"

"What's going on in here?"

Mr. Stewart came through the door, a disapproving frown on his face and clipboard in hand. "I'm disappointed, boys. You couldn't even get through the first day without a fight."

"Ha!" Sonic barked. "You want a fight, I can _give_ you a fight, and it would take a lot more than Silver and Blaze to hold me back." Sonic jerked out of the restrictive grip and shoved his hands in his pockets.

Shadow sneered at the blue-haired boy, crossing his arms. "If you think that _you_ know a _real_ fight, you've got another thing coming. And you couldn't catch me if you tried."

All four of the others snorted, and Sonic grinned. "Oh, if there's one thing I _can_ do, it's catch you."

"We'll see."

Stewart stepped between the two hybrids pushing them in separate directions. "That's quite enough! Now, if you don't mind, I'll start class. You two can hash it out on someone else's watch, because you're not going to waste the rest of this class' time. Get to your seats!"

Sonic sat heavily in his chair, burning _metaphorical_ holes through the back of the other's head.

_Oh, if only he knew what I'm capable of_, Sonic seethed. _I'll show him _exactly_ why my record is thicker than the Bible. There's a very good reason that Knuckles and I are known in this school, and trust me, it's not because of my track record._

_

* * *

_

"He shouldn't have gone there," Knuckles growled, pulling his tank top over his head and sifting through the contents of his team locker. "Tails is _our_ business, and we never so much as _looked_ at that kid in a mean way, so I don't know where he thinks that he's coming from in telling us how to deal with him."

"I told you, Knuckles, the guy is a jackass. Go figure that he would go about telling us how to raise the kid that's basically _ours_." Sonic leaned back against his locker, ignoring that the dial dug into his spine, tugging absent-mindedly at the bottom of last year's track jersey.

"That's a scary thought. You and me, raising a kid." Knuckles kicked the locker door, shoving his head through his jersey and straightening it. "Alright, I admit that the guy was a jerk before, but that was just _uncalled_ for."

"That's what we're doing, though," Sonic countered. "Raising these kids. We've changed to be good influences for them. In fact, if we _hadn't_ made some changes, they'd still be out on the streets and we'd be in jail. You know that. It doesn't change the fact that I want to bust out of this fake shit and show him who I really am."

"Hey," Knuckles replied, closing the locker and frowning disapprovingly at Sonic. "We never thought anyone else would get hurt. We never _intentionally_ went after anyone that wasn't involved directly."

"It didn't change the fact that people _did_ get hurt. That entire gang got wiped out, Knuckles, and it was all us."

"It wasn't _just_ us, though," Knuckles sighed, sitting on the bench and pulling on his track shoes. "We took the fall for Silver and Blaze so they wouldn't get in any more trouble than they already had."

"We took the fall for everyone. They only let us off easy because of Tikal." Sonic closed his eyes, sighing. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up, especially not now."

Knuckles' fists clenched, leaning forward to rest his forehead on his bent knee. "It's okay," he replied. "It wasn't your fault, and those Babylon Rogues got what was coming to them."

Sonic patted Knuckles' shoulder, a small comfort, and gave him a small shake. "Come on, let's get out there. We're going to be late. Again."

"You're right." Knuckles pushed himself off the bench, scrubbing furiously at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Let's go."

"I'm sorry, man," the blue-haired boy said softly.

"I told you, it's fine. Let's just get this over with, we have a lot of homework."

"Right."

The boys cut through the locker room, exiting straight onto the track and joining the group of other hopefuls in their stretches. Sonic scanned the group, looking for anyone else he might know that was attempting to join.

"I hope Tails didn't get the bright idea to show up," Knuckles mumbled.

"Nah," Sonic replied with a tiny smile. "You know Tails. Not to mention that the first meeting for the Robotics Club was today, so you know he'll be up to his elbows in that."

Knuckles chuckled indulgently, but Sonic could hear the forced edge in his voice. "Gotta love that boy. We just have to keep him out of lasers. We don't want him to get picked up again, halfway across Mobius and everyone panicking and thinking the kid's a terrorist or a suicide bomber. He couldn't hurt a fly."

"You have to admit, though, looking at those jets, you wouldn't know it. Half the time I almost expect him not to come home because the military's picked him up as a mechanic or technological strategist, if such a thing even exists."

"The kid could run the country on his own- he's got the brains. It's too bad that the old 'thirty-six to be President' law is still in place, because Tails could easily take it at ten." Knuckles stretched one arm over his head, bending it at the elbow and pulling it back. "Not to mention he's a kemonomimi. He could probably get away with it if he wasn't so noticeable, but he's got those tails- you know how it is. They still want the country ruled by a pureblood, though I can't imagine why, since most of _us_ are so much smarter. And what I _really_ don't understand is- _what the hell is he doing here?_"

Sonic spun on his heel, emerald eyes widening before narrowing at the sight of a black-haired boy in a black and red jersey set, _ARK Track and Field_ emblazoned across the front in a blocky red font.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sonic growled. "Well, he's shit out of luck if he thinks he can take this team away from me."

"Alright guys, line up!" The coach called, a crocodile kemonomimi named Vector whose trademark was his huge fangs that gave him a major under-bite. He was about thirty-five, hair a vibrant shade of green, wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a pair of large black headphones hung around his neck. "Boys, over here. We're gonna go a few laps on a time run. Do your best, alright? And no shoving each other into the fences like you did last semester. We don't want any sprained ankles."

The groups from last year snickered, obediently lining up across the free lanes. Sonic muscled his way through to the inside lane where he would be able to break through the crowd without too much hassle.

"Do a mile the fastest you can, but take it easy, guys. No asthma attacks or heat strokes on tryout day. Save that for next week." Vector grinned, signaling for them to go as he herded the fielders into the grassy center of the pavement track.

Sonic cut through within a few moments, the more out-of-shape kids starting at a slow jog, the others at a moderate pace that he passed easily. He'd been running all summer- and really, all his life- so keeping up a consistent fast-pace wasn't difficult for him.

He settled into a good rhythm quickly, and he barely noticed as the first three laps whizzed by. His mind wandered, as it always did when he was running, and he watched as Knuckles showed up all the freshmen at shot-put. The humbled underclassmen watched on in awe as he basically threw the thing a good forty feet. Sonic grinned- and a six kilogram shot, too. What an overachiever- he really needed to do something other than lift.

He was about halfway through the third lap when a blur in the corner of his eye caught his attention.

The black-haired hedgehog smirked as he passed Sonic. Green eyes widened as Sonic forced himself to go faster, neck-to-neck with the other boy.

"You're not bad, Faker," Shadow drawled. "But I'm afraid you're just not fast enough."

"How?" Sonic barked. He had never even _heard_ of this guy before-how was it even possible that he could be on par- or faster- than he was himself? He was the national champion, for fuck's sake!

_The shoes_.

"Cheater!" Sonic spat, pushing himself harder. "You're using wheels. You're gonna have to run it again or get kicked off. Only track shoes are allowed!"

"It doesn't matter," the boy replied, smirk widening. "I'm still faster than you."

"I would swamp you if I had a pair of wheels strapped to my feet, but I'm doing this the _right_ way. I'm not a cheater!"

"That's because you're too weak to use what you have to get ahead. Good boys like you only ever get left behind by those with the drive to _win_." Shadow glided across the pavement, but with the way his feet were moving, Sonic never would have known he was skating unless he had seen the wheels himself.

"Winning doesn't mean shit if you get disqualified at the finish line," Sonic growled. "And trust me, you _will_ get your ass handed to you. The only thing you would win at is a roller derby."

"I win at a lot of things that count a _lot_ more than a mediocre track team," the other replied. "And I've lost more than you ever will, so I understand the stakes much better."

"You don't know anything about loss," Sonic snapped. "You don't know what it's like to lose a sister, to lose your entire family and have to build it up from the ground with nothing more than a brother to lean against when you can't stand anymore. You'll never know what that's like. To watch loss. To know it was your fault and to apologize to _dirt_ because you know that she'll never hear you again and that it's all _your fault_."

Shadow's eyes flashed and for a moment, Sonic could have sworn that they glowed. The tanned boy shoved _hard_ into Sonic, sending him sprawling to the ground and skidding across the pavement.

He ground to a stop. "I don't know who you are or why you seem so determined to intrude in my life, but I will warn you only this once: _stay away from me _or_ you will die_."

He shot off on his heel, leaving Sonic hissing in pain and clutching his skinned arm, marching off the field before he could be cornered by the concerned coach and redhead that were quickly headed to the bleeding kemonomimi that lay on the final curve of the track.

"What happened?" Vector asked. "It looked like he pushed you. Should I be calling the principal, Sonic?"

"Nah," the blue-haired boy gasped as the coach poked at the wound. "I tripped, it was my fault."

Even as he said it, he locked eyes with Knuckles, who nodded just barely, muttering, "I'll go get the nurse."

"Well, that's some shit luck if I've ever seen it," Vector sighed. "Looks like you'll be out for the first few weeks, Sonic."

"But-!" Sonic protested.

"No 'but's! This looks like it will need to be put in a sling, and I can't let you run like that, at least not on my watch. You'll just have to chill out for a few weeks and work hard when you recover."

"A few _weeks?_" Sonic screeched. "No way! Vector, I'll be fine, please just let me run-"

"You know that I would, Sonic, but I can't. You might as well stay at home. You can come to practice if you want, but I'll have to keep you on the bleachers while we practice unless you want to help me time and record." Vector frowned. "Guys, move back! Give the kid some air, for god's sake!"

Sonic felt his heart sinking fast- track was his life, and now he wouldn't be able to participate for well into the season, maybe not even Nationals, if he couldn't get in the training time.

And even if he did heal in time, there was no way that a wound with this amount of skin damage would heal cleanly. He would be left with a scar that would most likely span the entire outside and part of the tender underside of his left arm.

_Fuck! I'll kill him for this!_ Sonic seethed, feeling his eyes burn but refusing to cry.

_I'll get you back for this, Shadow the Hedgehog. Mark my words. You will pay._


	5. Bandages & Text Messages

**Hello again! Another chapter up for grabs, and I'm working on the next one as we speak (type...?). This one has a bit of a neccesary OC, who is the nurse and will likely remain nameless.**

**I just love the way Knuckles and Sonic interact sometimes! Haha...Rouge is a bit OC in this one, but she will be back with mad Brooklyn rage next chapter. :3**

**Standard disclaimer applies. Love y'all!

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Sonic's teeth clenched down on the damp washcloth in his mouth, groaning his pain and squeezing hard on Knuckles' hand. The nurse pursed her lips, removing one of the bigger stones from his oozing and broken flesh with a pair of sharp tweezers. She dropped it in a metal dish where it pitter-pattered before falling to rest among the rest of the bloodstained gravel.

"We're almost done," the older woman promised. "This next one is going to hurt. Try not to break Knuckles' hand, Sonic, cause I'll have to fix that, too. What a mess you've gotten yourself into, this time."

Sonic growled a slur of unintelligible words through the cloth. The nurse raised her eyebrows, adjusting her glasses before she leaned in to get the next stone.

"He says it wasn't his fault," Knuckles supplied.

"Well, he should have told the staff about it, then, rather than trying to handle it himself and getting himself like this." The lioness-kemonomimi's small, rounded ears twitched in agitation. "Honestly, I've watched so many kids grow up here, but never some that got in as much trouble as you two have."

"It's a talent," Knuckles replied dryly, wincing in sympathy as her tweezers dug into the broken flesh and emerged with a large stone, stomach churning at the agonized half-scream, half-moan that erupted from his best friend's mouth.

"Not a very good one, if you ask me," the woman replied brusquely, dropping the mini metal pliers into the dish with the stones and removing her gloves. She crossed the room with all in hand, leaving the shallow bowl in the sink, fishing around in the cabinet. "I mean, you should have _seen_ the way you two looked when you came into the office two summers ago. So young, but already in so much trouble, dealing with so much that young people shouldn't have to deal with. It's such a shame that we don't have better support out there for kids like you two."

"I had a family," Knuckles said softly. "It was small and fucked, sure, but I had one. It was this bonehead that was running the roads on his own, and quite literally at that."

Sonic spat out the washcloth into his uninjured hand, Knuckles flexing his freed fingers and wincing. "I don't even remember where I came from, not really. All I remember is here. Your family. You. You guys took me in, and now I owe it to other kids on the street to help them, too. Just like you helped me."

The nurse sighed, returning with a thick pads of gauze and a large bottle of rubbing alcohol, a roll of bandages and a sling tucked under her arm. She sat on the stool, placing the bandages and sling on the table. "You're a real sweetheart, Sonic, but you try to do too much on your own. If you let other people help you, you probably wouldn't be in half as much trouble. You almost lost those two little ones you were looking after with that stunt. It's a miracle that you've gotten out of trouble enough to assure the board that you could take care of even more. They don't have anyone looking after them but you, and we need to be sure that they're being taken care of right, you know? You have to keep your nose clean, and if that means that you're called a snitch, then so be it."

"Being a snitch where I lived gets you killed," Sonic replied quietly, hissing through his teeth as the woman poured a thick stream of alcohol over the wound, catching the excess with a white medical towel and gauze.

"This should at least help get the rest out and fight infection," she sighed. Sonic watched the skin bubble as she tossed the towels in the hamper and gauze in the trash. "I really wish that I could help you two more. You're both on your own now, and I see you trying so hard to be good for those kids. It's not hard to see how much you want to solve your own problems your way, and I think it's lovely that you're willing to put in so much effort for those little ones. They'll grow up with a real family, a real role-model, and that's good for them."

Sonic sighed, trying not to flinch away as she wrapped the arm. "So how long until I'm out of this thing?"

"I did an X-ray, and unfortunately it looks like there are a few small fractures. Now, normally that would take eight to ten weeks to heal, but since you have such serious damage to the epidermis, it will probably be longer. The most important thing is to elevate it whenever you can and to be _careful_."

"Fractures?" Sonic sighed. "Are you kidding?"

"So I look like I'm joking? You're lucky the breaks aren't worse, considering your poor nutrition when you were growing up." The woman 'tutt'ed under her breath, pulling two vials from her cabinet, one large and one small. "The big one is multi-vitamins, and for god's sake, _take them_. One a day. They'll probably help you heal faster, and if you're careful with your arm, that should help, too. The others are painkillers, and you can't take more than two every six to ten hours. If you need something stronger, just ask me. For now, I want you to come in twice a day for the next week to get your bandages changed, and once that scrape is healed up a bit better, we'll put you in a cast, so don't injure yourself more and _wear the damn splint_. Understand?"

"Take the vitamins once a day, painkillers can go two every six to ten hours, wear the splint, twice a day for bandages. Got it." Sonic stared mournfully at his bandaged arm, gingerly sliding it into the pouch of the splint. "Thank you, Kelly."

"It's no problem, Sonic, that's my job. And you boys know that if you need anything, I'm right here. All you have to do is _ask_." The woman patted his head, shooing him out of her office and the infirmary with a last call of, "Drink your milk, and don't forget to take those vitamins, Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"I won't," he promised, tucking both vials into his pants pocket.

"Are you hungry?" Knuckles asked when they emerged into the hallway.

"No," the boy answered, head spinning slightly from painkillers and the tingling in his arm. "I just want to sleep. You go to dinner, alright? Just tell them that I fell or something, that I'm fine, just a little bruised up and needed some rest. I can find my way back on my own."

"Are you sure?" The echidna asked, frowning.

"Positive. Get going, or they'll be waiting."

The redhead paused, staring contemplatively at his friend before he nodded. "Fine. Text me when you get back to the room so I know you made it, okay?"

Sonic rolled his eyes. "It's not like I'm going to pass out on the way or something. Whatever. Just go. Wait- take my bag, I can't carry it, but I need the keys."

Knuckles unclipped the key ring and handed it over, slinging the bag over his shoulder as he took off at a brisk jog, Sonic walking the other direction slowly, holding his arm close to his side. His keys jingled on his belt loop, knocking against his sore hip as he walked, which was thankfully undamaged aside from a few scratches and a large, dark bruise.

As he cut across the courtyard from the infirmary to the dormitories, he was stopped by the girl who had been in the lunch room earlier. Her eyes wide, she paused before she spoke, horrified gaze stuck on his injuries.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He snorted under his breath, but tried to keep his tone polite- just because she was that jerk's friend didn't mean she was as temperamental as he was. "Yeah, I'm good. Just had a bit of an incident at track practice."

"Oh, god," she breathed. "Did he do that to you? I mean, I asked him to tell you to be nice to the kid, but I didn't think…"

Sonic laughed weakly, shaking his head. "No, he told me. It's not an issue- Tails is like my brother. I practically raised him. And that guy, well… we don't get along. It's fine."

"I'm so sorry about him," the white-haired girl fretted, wringing her hands. "He wasn't always like this. He lost a close friend about a year ago and he blames himself for her death. It really changed him- he used to be a normal guy. Quiet, but normal."

Sonic paled, and the girl reached out, hesitating in touching him due to his injury. "Are you okay?"

"So…" he mumbled to himself. "That's why. It explains a lot."

She frowned, not understanding. Sonic sighed, the breath shuddering out of him.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Rouge," she replied. "I'm Rouge the Bat."

"We were arguing. I was talking about loss- I lost a friend a few years ago- really, she was more like a sister, a part of my family- and it was my fault. He must have thought that I was talking about him. That's probably why he shoved me."

Rouge's eyebrows drew together. "A _shove_ did _that?_" Just how hard did he push you?"

"Hard enough," Sonic grumbled. "It wasn't too bad, I just have brittle bones. Poor nutrition early on, you know? I didn't have much of a home until I was about six, and even then, there wasn't a whole lot to go around." He coughed uncomfortably, shoulders slumping slightly. "Anyway, I should probably get to my dorm. If I don't text my roommate soon, he'll probably leave the kids to come look for me, and I need to rest anyway. The nurse says it will take eight to ten weeks to heal the fractures, but I have a really nasty cut that will prevent them from putting me in a cast until it heals."

Her eyes softened, a guilty expression on her face. "Do you think it will scar?"

"I can't see how it wouldn't," he answered honestly. "A lot of skin came off and there were a lot of rocks in there, too. It's a pretty large area, but I guess I won't really know how bad it is until the cast comes off. I just hope I don't miss Nationals- I really wanted to beat my record, but with the way it's looking now, I probably won't have enough time to do the amount of training I'd need."

"Are you a runner?"

"Yeah. I'll run anything, but I 'm pretty good at both sprints and long-distance. I broke the record last year for the boy's timed mile. I wanted to break the international record this year. I'd still run, but the coach says he can't let me because the injury's too bad."

Rouge fidgeted uncomfortably. "Shadow used to run. He was really good at it, too, but he quit when we moved."

"Yeah, I noticed, he was at track practice. He was wearing wheels and I called him out for it, but he said that the rules didn't matter as long as you won."

"What an idiot!" she exclaimed. "He promised me that he would try to stay out of trouble. I just hope he doesn't get expelled for this."

"Oh," Sonic replied, frowning. "He won't get in trouble, I didn't name names. It's group policy that we solve our problems ourselves. We never get the board involved, or the police- that's how we got in trouble last time."

The girl winced, her eyes widening more. "Group? Like a gang? You're not going to go after him, are you? We can't afford to get into that again, but knowing Shadow, he'll throw himself into it head first at the first opportunity."

The blue-haired boy shook his head, pulling his arm in close to his body and supporting it with his good one. "We don't want any trouble. I have kids to look after, and knowing that this was a misunderstanding will probably bring the guys around. As far as anyone's concerned other than us, I tripped and fell. That's all- nothing dramatic, no blame to pass. I can't promise that Knuckles won't knock him around some, but we're not going active for one guy, especially with the family to look after."

"Knuckles, he's your roommate?" She asked, face flushing slightly. "Well, that's okay. I can't say that Shadow doesn't deserve it, because he really does. I just don't want him to have started a war here. We just got settled in, you know?" She sighed heavily, adjusting her backpack on her shoulder. "Thank you, …"

"Sonic," he replied with a small, pained grin. "Sonic the Hedgehog. Oh, and are you dating that jerk?" His head tilted to the side, and Rouge scowled.

"No way. He's like a brother to me. Why?"

"Just gotta let Knuckles know!" His grin widened as she blushed scarlet. "He's a good guy, even if he's a little rough sometimes. I think you'd like him."

"Maybe," she murmured. "Well, I should let you get some rest… Thank you, though, Sonic. You're a good guy, too. I won't forget this."

"It's no problem. This is nothing, after all- you should have seen when Blaze came in, she and Knuckles just about killed each other!" He laughed under his breath. "Well, see you around, Rouge."

"Sure. I'll make sure to give Shadow a hard time about this, too."

"Bye!"

"See you."

Sonic pulled out his phone as he walked away, figuring that he was close enough to the dorm to send the text to Knuckles, grinning to himself as he heard the bat-girl start screaming into her own phone.

_Home_, he wrote simply. _Met the girl. She's even cuter up close and blushed when I mentioned you. She's not dating the jerk, and she's nice, too._

Knuckles texted back just as Sonic was settling into his bunk, a pillow wedged under his injured arm. _You talked to her? Jesus fuck, I hate you sometimes. But good job. _

Sonic chuckled. _I know, I'm just good like that. How are the kids?_

_They're worried about you. I was thinking about bringing Tails over when we're done, are you up for it?_

Sonic groaned, his eyes slivered open as he wrote back, _Way too tired. Taking a nap now. Maybe tomorrow. Arm's killing me._

He was half asleep when the next text came through. _Alright. They all say that they hope you feel better. Chip says he'll bring you cookies. Get some sleep.

* * *

_

Knuckles' phone buzzed in his pocket as he was herding the group out of the dining hall. It was so much harder to keep track of them all on his own.

_Thx._

He smiled a little, herding the kids toward the Elementary Dorms. The only time he got a one-word message he knew Sonic was either pissed as hell or dead tired, the latter obviously being the case.

"Will Sonic be okay?" Tails asked softly, tugging on Knuckles' hand.

"Of course," he answered. "You know Sonic, it's impossible to get him down."

Tails nodded in agreement, replying, "Sonic never stops. He trips sometimes, but he always hits the ground running."

Knuckles laughed.


	6. Licorice & Lies

**Hello, lovelies. I'm baaack! 3**

**Drama galore in this one. So much that I don't even know where to start. I hate and love this chapter at the same time. Hate, because it's just so damn hard to keep Shadow in character! Love, because you get to see inside his head in this chappy, and there's some real insight into the relationship between Shadow and Rouge, which I just love.**

**You guys have made me so happy with all the reviews! *teary eyes* I love you! Please keep the comments coming, I love to read and reply to all of them!**

**Standard disclaimer applies. It may be a few days for the next one, since I'm supposed to be getting a new laptop to replace the one that just crapped out. **

**Anyway, enjoy! :D

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"_You are in so much trouble!_" Rouge screeched.

Shadow held his phone at an arm's length away from his ear, wincing, ears lowering slightly. "Lower your voice or I'll hang up. What do you want?"

"_You need to get here, then, so I can yell to your face!_"

"And where exactly is 'here'?" Shadow snapped irritably.

"_Come to my room. The RA is out on orientation tonight, and as long as you're out before ten, they don't really care anyway."_

Shadow snapped his phone closed without replying, already on the staircase up to his floor which was, coincidentally, hers as well. He was surprised that he couldn't hear her on his own.

He stalked down the hall, knocking sharply on the door and being pulled in within seconds, Rouge shoving him against the closed door, face livid.

"_What's your damage_?" she screeched. "There you go again, thinking that the entire world is about you, and do you know what you did to that kid? I saw him on his way back to his room! He was so doped up on painkillers that he could hardly walk straight and his entire arm and part of his torso was bandaged!"

"He deserved it!" Shadow hissed. "I don't know how he knew, but he needed to be put in his place!"

"He wasn't talking about you! _God_, why do you always think that everything is about _you, _you arrogant bastard! You _broke_ his _arm_, Shadow! And they can't even put the kid in a cast because his arm is too fucked up! He's going to be scarred for _life_, you fucktard!"

Shadow pushed by her, mind reeling. _Not talking about me?_ He sat heavily on the edge of her single bed. "What are you talking about? I couldn't have pushed him that hard."

She towered in front of him, arms crossed. "He was malnourished as a child, so his internal structures aren't what they should be. And not only did you _scar_ him and _break his arm_, you possibly just screwed him over for Nationals this year! Did you know that he hold the National _record_ for the boy's timed mile? You _idiot!_"

"It doesn't matter," he hissed. "If I'm so stupid, at least you won't have to deal with me much longer. I'm sure I'll be gone before the night is up."

"And _that's _the icing on the motherfucking _cake!_" Rouge snapped, shoving at his shoulders again. "He didn't even turn you in! Didn't say a word! _And,_ as if that wasn't enough, _and_ he's not going to come after you. He says he's not bringing his gang active for one guy!"

"Gang?" Shadow replied dumbly. "_Fuck_."

Rouge scowled, turning away and kicking the opposite wall. "I'd say! You're damn lucky you didn't get us pulled into this one and that the kid is so understanding. He said that it was easy for you to misunderstand him about the damn Maria thing because the same shit happened to him."

"You _told_ him?" Shadow hissed. "How could you do that to me?"

"Did you not hear what I just said? I _said_ that the same thing happened to him, dipshit! He lost a friend to god-knows-what just like you lost Maria, and all you think about is _you!_ I swear, I don't know why I put up with you. But if I didn't, no one else would, either, because you'd be a self-absorbed jackass who never talked to anyone or put everyone down."

Shadow clenched his fists in the pink, fuzzy topsheet of Rouge's bed, screwing his eyes shut and just attempting to breathe his way through his fury. After a few moments of deep breaths, he asked, "He wasn't talking about me? It just sounded like…"

"I know," Rouge replied quietly, collapsing into a purple beanbag in the corner. "It's just another factor on the long list of coincidences."

"…and you said that it _broke?_ I _broke_ his arm?"

"Fractured," Rouge corrected. "But he said it would have taken eight to ten weeks to heal, but that the skin damage is such that they can't put a cast on him until it heals, and that it's expected to scar pretty badly. Something about rocks or gravel or something like that."

"I shouldn't have lost my temper," he mumbled. "I swore that I wouldn't hurt anyone again, and I've already failed."

"Yeah, you should have had better control, but it can't be helped now. He may or may not be able to do Nationals at this rate, it's hard to tell. He seems to think he won't have the training time necessary."

Shadow snorted. "Training is hardly necessary, he was practically faster than I was, and I was using wheels. I could tell that he wasn't really pushing himself, either…" The dark-haired hybrid paused, relaxing his hands and brining them up to cover his face for a long moment. "Did he say anything else?"

"No," she replied. "Oh- well, he asked me if I was dating you."

Shadow's head snapped up, a scowl on his face. "What?"

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Not for him, dumbass. He said that his redheaded friend wanted to know." A half-stupid grin crossed her face. "He said that he was a good guy. The friend, I mean. He also said that the friend might knock you around some, but that it shouldn't be serious. Just a bit of payback for screwing with his roommate. From the looks of the guy, you're probably lucky he won't go after you too much. He could probably punt you across campus."

Shadow snorted again, shoulders relaxing slightly. "I can take care of myself. Oh, and he said that the kid was his responsibility and that he raised him and never would hurt him. I hope you're satisfied, because I won't be getting involved in _that_ conversation again."

"Yeah," she sighed. "He said that he's got a few others he's looking after. I never got a number, but it sounds like a fair few, especially at his age. It's a shame-it sounds like he doesn't really get to be a kid, as much as he enjoys taking care of his."

Shadow frowned, moving back onto her bed and leaning back against the wall. "I haven't seen him with any others, but I was late for breakfast and didn't go tonight, and everyone is separated for lunch. I'll have to pay more attention tomorrow morning."

Rouge hummed contemplatively, pulling herself out of the chair and moving to her desk, sifting through the contents of the top drawer. She pulled out a bag of red licorice, sticking a strand in her mouth before she tossed the bag to him. He hummed appreciatively, pulling out a piece and chewing on it thoughtfully.

"You really need to eat, Shadow," Rouge admonished. "I can't keep you running on candy and soda."

"Yet you always seem to have it on you," he countered, swallowing with a small smile. "I don't know how you're not fat. You don't exercise at all, and yet you eat all this terrible food."

Rouge scowled, chucking a pack of gum at him. "Shut up. I exercise enough, just not a freakishly excessive amount like you do."

"I don't care about my BMI as long as I can wear my clothes, and I know I have enough muscle to burn the calories I eat. Girls store much more fat on their bodies, so it's easier for them to gain weight and harder for them to lose. And I like to exercise. It's good for me." He tilted his head, half a string of licorice hanging from the corner of his mouth.

She rolled her eyes, returning to her chair. "Whatever. Someday, I'll be perfectly fine and you'll be fat and I'll laugh. Ivo used to be skinny, too, you know."

Shadow snickered. "Hardly."

Rouge was quiet for a while, and Shadow watched her moderately good mood fade. "What are you going to do about Sonic?"

"I'm not sure," Shadow replied, handing the bag of candy back to the girl, appetite lost. "It's not like I can apologize."

"Of course you can. Just apologize. He'll understand."

He stared at her. "Are you an imbecile? I essentially skinned and broke his arm because I couldn't control my temper. If I was him, I would kill me if I tried to apologize."

"Oh, what's he going to do, Shadow? As you said, his arm is broken, and you've never actually and officially _met_ the guy. If you try being a decent human being, he might cut you a break. Who knows, maybe you could even get along."

"I doubt it," he replied. "His friends don't like me, either."

"Have you ever just talked to him one-on-one?" She twirled a lock of her hair around her finger, leaning over to grab her phone that buzzed.

"He's _never_ alone," Shadow grumbled.

Rouge frowned at her phone screen, tapping away at the keys of her phone before she set it on the floor.

"Ivo?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"What'd he say?"

She shrugged a little. "Just reminding us to stay out of trouble. He says Nega's already making blueprints for a new plane- supposedly legal, but who can tell?"

The dark-haired boy sighed, running his hand over his face. "Already? It's only the first day of school. I'd hoped it would take a week, at least… What about him?"

Another shrug. "I don't know. Probably not anything, at least not this early. He was never as ambitious as his father, you know? He just liked people noticing him for his intelligence, not because he wanted to get what he wanted when he wanted. He was more about building for fun, at least in the beginning."

"Nega sucked him up into the illegal aspect."

"Nega sucked _everyone_ up into the illegal aspect. Ivo just wanted to impress his Dad, you wanted an adventure and I wanted to have nice things. In the end, it just got all of us in trouble."

Shadow sighed, eyes wandering to the clock set on Rouge's desk. "It's ten-fifteen. I should go." He pushed himself off the bed, back aching from the awkward position.

"Are you gonna talk to Sonic?"

"I don't know. Maybe."

She stood, brushing off the back of her pants. "You should, even if it's just to know you tried. You need to have friends more than just me. Guy friends."

He snorted, picking up his bag. "You're good enough for me. Friends are just people that you let in, only to get disappointed or left behind."

"That's optimistic."

"It's _realistic_. Other than you, I've only ever been disappointed by other people."

"Including Maria?"

Shadow scowled, stepping toward the door. "Maria's different."

"She's also _dead,_ Shadow," Rouge sighed, grabbing his arm. "And you need to find a way to be happy without her, because I hate sitting around and watching you suffer. You don't even want to _try_ being happy again."

Shadow pulled away, stricken. No one had ever said it like that… it was so… final. But it was true. Maria _was_ dead, and just hearing the words 'passed away' and 'deceased' did nothing to make reality sink in. It never seemed real until now.

"I'm not afraid of hurting your feelings anymore, Shadow," Rouge said softly. "I feel like I've been walking on eggshells around you ever since she died. I don't want to keep doing it. She's dead, Shadow, and it's not going to change. She wouldn't want you to close yourself off like this, you know. She would want you to try, at least _try_ to be happy. She wouldn't want you to lose who you were when she knew you. If Maria saw you now, Shadow, she wouldn't recognize you, and you know it."

"There's no one left to recognize," he whispered. "I'm not the same. I never will be."

"There's a big difference between changing and giving up." Rouge stared at him hard. "You've given up, Shadow. And if you're not going to try to function again, you're going to be left alone."

"I want to be alone."

"That's a lie. You never wanted anything _less._ You think you've been fooling me all this time, Shadow, but I see right through you." Rouge stepped forward, grabbing his shoulders. "You're around people every day, but you're so lonely that you want to die. But you can't, because you feel like you owe it to Maria to keep living. You can't stand the idea of hurting anyone, but you don't know how to stop. You're terrified of being alone, but you can't bring yourself to get close to anyone, because you're afraid of losing them."

He was frozen- that was it, he couldn't move anymore. Maybe he never would again.

Her eyes softened. "You look at me like you're searching for something, Shadow, and you're discouraged that you haven't found it. You think that if you can't find what you're looking for in me, who's been with you for practically your entire life, that you'll never find it. And you look around at all the other girls, and you can't find it in them, either. You're afraid that you lost your chance when you lost Maria, but I promise you, _it's not true_. Everyone has a second chance, Shadow. Even people like us."

"How?" He whispered, eyes burning. He shut them tight, denying his feelings free reign over him. "I thought I was doing so well. I thought that I hid it."

Rouge sighed, pulling him into a fierce hug that he was too frozen to return. "You can't hide it from me, Shadow. You're like my brother, and I've known you for so long that I know what you're thinking probably before you even think it. It's what girls do, what family does."

The taller boy kept his eyes closed, resting his chin on top of her head, arms rising to hold her. He desperately wished that he would feel something other than vague warmth and her concern, but there was nothing.

It was love, but not what he was looking for.

"You know," she said softly, hesitantly. "You seem more alive since you met Sonic. Maybe…"

He pulled away suddenly, holding her at arm's length. "You're _not_ thinking…"

She shrugged, a helpless look on her face. "I don't know what I'm saying. It's just an observation. You _know_ that it wouldn't be a big deal. Gay marriage has been legal for about a hundred years-"

"I'm not gay."

Rouge gave him _the_ _look_. "I'm not saying you are. I'm just saying that if girls aren't working, maybe you should consider other options. Sonic is a nice kid."

He frowned. "But, Rouge-"

"No 'but's! I'm not saying you have to marry him, or even date him! I'm just saying, consider. He didn't say anything about having a girlfriend himself. Just… you don't even have to say anything. Just think about it a little, okay? I've seen you around a lot of people, but he's gotten the strongest reaction by far. It's just that, okay? And no matter what you do, it won't change my mind about you. Unless you beat him up again, 'cause then I'll have to hurt you."

Shadow took a deep breath but found no words to use it for, exhaling in a loud, forceful sigh. "_Maybe_. I will promise nothing. Can I leave now? Ten forty-five."

Rouge rolled her eyes and sighed, leaning forward to peck him on the cheek and follow it with a sharp pat. "Fine. Go, you whiner. I expect a good report from now on!"

"Fine, fine," he grumbled, reaching for his keys in his pocket as he walked down the hallway, counting out the numbers of doors until he reached his own single.

* * *

He dropped his bag just inside the closed door before he collapsed onto the half-made bed, burying his face in his pillow and yelling until he was out of breath. He sat up with a huff, pounding it once before he toed off his shoes and socks, padding barefoot to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

_Maria, what should I do?_


	7. Love & Maple Syrup

**Yo! Just a quick A/N cause it's midnight and I'm exhausted and have class tomorrow morning and hopefully a new laptop at some point. **

**Shadow is especially awkward in this chapter. This is for a reason- I feel like he wouldn't quite know how to deal with people once his defenses were broken down. But that's just me, and why you have reviews with which to disagree with me. XD**

**Standard disclaimer applied.

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Contrary to the day before, Sonic woke up on Friday morning very much on his mattress. Not bothering to make the mistake he did the day before, Sonic merely rolled carefully back onto his shoulders and propelled his foot into the bottom of the mattress above him, hearing a pained groan as a response. He smirked, rubbed his eyes one-at-a-time with his good hand, and rolled out of bed.

"Wuz'zat for?" Knuckles drawled, sticking his head out from under the covers. "I'hurt."

"Boohoo, whine ass," Sonic replied. "My arm's broken. _That_ hurts. Now, get up so you can help me get dressed. I don't want to try to put on a shirt one-handed. Brushing my hair will be bad enough."

True enough, Sonic had great difficulty smoothing the spikes back and up into their usual position. Giving up in favor of brushing his teeth, he left a majority of his hair falling into his eyes and just barely brushing his shoulders, slightly wavy from being slept on all night.

When Knuckles finally finished his roll-and-flail to the floor, he did a double-take at the sight of his roommate. "Wow, you weren't kidding. You look like shit."

Sonic shot him a sarcastic glare. "Thanks, Knuckles, you're a real pal."

"Just keepin' it real, man," the echidna replied, muscling in towards the sink to brush his teeth as well. Sonic cut out before the other finished to begin the long and difficult task that would be getting ready.

Knowing that there was no way to get his glove on his injured hand, he gave up on that idea before it began and decided to forego the other as well. He wiggled into a pair of cutoff sweatpants that ended somewhere around his calves, hacked into submission years ago by a pair of scissors. Knuckles emerged from the bathroom and helped him out of his shirt from yesterday and into a fresh white flannel, a blue t-short layered on over it with some sort of graphic print in these seven multicolored gems.

Knuckles clipped the chain around Sonic's neck, the ring laying comfortably between his collarbones, and Sonic did what he could to fasten his shoes one-handed as Knuckles got dressed.

"I just hope the kids aren't too freaked out by this," Sonic sighed. "It probably looks a lot worse than it sounded."

"It might have helped if you looked like you, but you only look beaten down. It doesn't help, but between us two, I think we can convince them that you're just a little out of it, nothing huge. We need to get you to the infirmary, too."

"I know, I'm leaving now and I'll meet you in front of the Elementary Dorms to pick them up."

Knuckles nodded absent-mindedly, pulling his own chain and pendant over his head. "What are we going to do about the jackass?"

Sonic frowned, his conversation from yesterday echoing in his head. _He lost a close friend about a year ago and he blames himself for her death. It really changed him- he used to be a normal guy._

"Nothing," he replied.

"Nothing?" Knuckles exclaimed. "But, Sonic, he practically skinned you!"

Sonic gave him a one-armed shrug. "It's fine. I'll recover."

"What the hell, man? Yesterday you practically gave me the signal to get us moving again, and now you're punking out?" Knuckles scowled, rounding incredulously on his friend. "Okay, what's going on? You have to know something I don't."

He shrugged again, hesitating, before replying, "Let's just say that he went through something like we did. We were arguing, and I was talking about loss.. he misunderstood me, thought I was talking about him, and he shoved me. Obviously it's a sore subject."

Knuckles frowned, looking stricken. "Sonic, you know I don't blame you, right?"

"I don't understand how you can't," Sonic mumbled. "It was my fault. If I hadn't told you to let her come, she would have stayed home and stayed safe. It never would have happened. No matter which way you twist it, it always comes back to me, Knuckles." Sonic swallowed. "I'll see you there, man. I gotta get my bandages changed, my arm really hurts. Bye."

He ducked out before Knuckles could stop him.

_Damn that kid and his speed! Even injured, I can't keep up with the fucker.

* * *

_

Tails toddled along beside Sonic, clutching onto his good hand, Cream holding onto Tails. The little girl was being unsurprisingly persistent that she walk on her own and not trouble Sonic or Knuckles.

Chip babbled aimlessly to Knuckles, who wasn't paying attention. Instead, he watched his best friend struggle to keep a smile on his face for the kids and hide the winces of pain that happened every time his arm swung in the sling a little too hard against his ribs.

Amy, being the sharp girl that she was (and a little obsessed with Sonic, too) noticed every twitch that crossed his face, and had run ahead to secure a table early before the crowd closed in too much. Knuckles honestly found her annoying sometimes, but he couldn't help the random bursts of appreciation he felt for the pink-haired preteen sometimes. She really did mean well, as much of a mother-hen that she could be sometimes.

Knuckles took care to herd the kids through the dining hall by himself, leaving Sonic to fend for himself and 'not be distracted by a bunch of rugrats'. Sonic hesitated, but when Amy appeared and volunteered to help the redhead, he conceded and wandered off to make his own plate.

It would, after all, be hard enough to carry his own tray without having four other plates piled on top.

He was attempting to balance his tray in between the thin counter and his hip, attempting not to get bumped into when Rouge and Shadow noticed him.

"Fuck, the poor kid looks like shit," she sighed.

Shadow had to admit that she was right- dark circles clung beneath green eyes and normally spiky blue hair hung limp. He hadn't even bothered with normal clothes, resorting to sweatpants and a baggy shirt. His left arm was heavily bandaged, and, as Rouge had said, the padding extended noticeably below his shirt and part of his leg. The bandaged arm was hung in a thin sling, and the boy winced every time it got jostled.

"Go help him," Rouge hissed, nudging Shadow hard in the ribs.

"Ow," the boy exclaimed. "But-"

"No excuses," The girl grumbled, snatching her companion's tray out of his hands, throwing a quick 'I'll find a table' over her shoulder as she faded into the crowd.

Shadow stood there, helpless and speechless, for a moment before he sighed and wandered after the blue-haired boy obediently.

"Fuck," the injured boy was grumbling to himself. "Was never any good at balancing things. Of course, it _would_ be Knuckles' idea to send the injured kid off on his own. Bonehead- when it doesn't hurt so much, I'll chuck his own shot put at him."

"Um," Shadow said, searching for what to say. Sonic blinked, turning toward him and frowning… and then looking away, and then looking back.

"You want something?" He asked, and Shadow remembered standing over him the first time, when he had said the same thing. He blinked, not exactly sure what he should say.

"Well, uh… Rouge thought I should…" He sighed heavily. "Do you want help?"

Sonic noticed the choice of words immediately- _Do you want help?_ Not, _do you need help?_ Obviously he needed it, but he was leaving the choice up to him.

Sonic chuckled under his breath. _What a strange guy._

Shadow frowned. "Maybe I should just-"

"Sure," Sonic cut in before he could finish. The other blinked. "If you can just grab the tray, it would really help. My table's over there somewhere- shouldn't be too hard to find."

Shadow grabbed the tray wordlessly, following as Sonic started walking, eyes lowered, but every so often sneaking glances at his bandaged arm. "Does it…?"

"Hurt?" Sonic finished, glancing over at the surprisingly quiet dark-haired boy. "It comes and goes. It's more of a sting when I bump it. It's not too bad, though- I've had much worse." He laughed again under his breath, drawing the surprised glance of the other as he spun in place, looking for Amy's trademark pink hair over the crowd.

"Damn, where the hell did that girl go?" He mumbled. "Always running off. Tch. Typical Amy."

"How many of them are there?" Shadow asked quietly. "That you look after."

"At the moment?" Sonic replied distractedly, raising onto his tiptoes and struggling to stay upright. "Four, I think. A few that come and go every once in a while. But it's evenly balanced. Silver and Blaze aren't exactly regulars, but there's them and me and Knuckles to the four little ones."

"It sounds difficult," Shadow replied, frowning.

"Eh, we make it work. Oh, I think that's them over there. Okay, follow me."

Sonic weaved through the mass of people with a surprising grace for an injured person (or really, any person), Shadow having considerably more difficulty and falling a bit behind.

"Dude, I'm sorry I left you hanging. I forgot you couldn't exactly carry shit, you know, and I had to help the kids, but I can go back up with you and- wait, what the hell?"

Knuckles stared incredulously, Sonic grinning amusedly, Shadow standing awkwardly and an entire group of little eyes looking on questioningly.

"Shadow offered to help me. That was nice of him, ne, guys?"

The kids nodded eagerly at the presence of a new 'friend', one small pair of bright blue eyes lighting up with recognition as the black-haired hedgehog hybrid nudged the tray onto the booth table.

"You're in Sonic's class, right?" Tails asked, eagerly leaning forward.

Shadow glanced at the two older boys, Sonic nodding slightly and Shadow echoed the gesture.

The blonde's smile threatened to break his face if it got any wider, two little hands reaching for Sonic's uninjured one and tugging excitedly. "See, Sonic? I told you he would feel better. See?"

Shadow frowned, attempting to comprehend the obscure statement as Sonic laughed quietly, patting Tails on the head and avoiding the subject.

"So, uh, Shadow. Meet the gang." Sonic gestured around the table with the names. "This is Tails, Amy, Cream, Ch- where's Chip?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "He went up for seconds."

Sonic shook his head lightly with a sigh. "That kid. Anyway, Chip went up for more food, and you know that that's obviously Knuckles. And- oh hey guys, you actually showed up today!" Sonic grinned as a surprised and slightly horrified Blaze and Silver approached. "These guys are Blaze and Silver, they're in our class, too. Oi, Chip- That's Chip, he eats like a maniac."

The tiny purple-haired boy grinned, pushing his way into the booth with a plate piled high with food held carefully in his hands. "Yo."

"Sonic, what the hell happened to you?" Blaze exclaimed.

"Yeah, and what the hell is _he_ doing here, man?" Silver growled.

Shadow's eyes narrowed a bit at the accusatory tone in the white-haired boy's tone- though he supposed that he deserved it.

"Aw, nothing. I tripped- you know me. Knocked my arm on something and cut it up pretty bad. No big." Sonic smiled at his friends, ordering the kids over to make room for the other seniors to edge in. "Shadow's helping me out. It's cool, we worked it out."

"Really," Knuckles growled, stare unwavering on the out-of-place hybrid.

"_Yes,_" Sonic replied. "Anyway-"

"Shadow! Sha- fuck, there you are," the bat-girl sighed, appearing next to her friend. "What the hell is taking you so long? I _told_ you-"

"Hey, Rouge," Sonic said cheerfully.

The white-haired girl blinked, finally noticing the group. "Oh, hey Sonic! Holding up well enough, yeah?"

He shrugged. "Yeah, good enough. Rouge, this is the group- wave guys- Silver, Blaze, Amy, Chip, Cream, Tails, and that's Knuckles there. Everyone, this is Rouge. She's cool, so be nice to her, huh?" Sonic threw a not-so-discrete grin and eyebrow-raise at his roommate, whose face colored slightly and shot his friend the not-so-discrete finger.

Rouge smiled, laughing nervously. "Hey, guys. Uh, Sonic, sorry to steal Shadow away, but I need to make sure he eats before class so I don't have to fuel him up on candy again."

Shadow's face turned red and he hissed, "You weren't supposed to tell anyone!"

"And who was it bragging about BMI's last night?" she countered.

Sonic grinned.

"See you later, Sonic. Um... Knuckles." Rouge smiled, cheeks flushing slightly as she tugged Shadow away.

"See you around," Shadow mumbled.

"Thanks for the help, man," Sonic replied with a grin.

As the two disappeared into the crowd, a lot of things happened at once.

Sonic slid into the booth next to Knuckles, who punched him in the good arm, grumbling under his breath about discretion and Sonic's lack of finesse. Sonic groaned in pain, grumbling in return about bruises and favors. Silver and Blaze exchanged confused glances, and the kids dug into their food.

Rouge bragged about her debatable rightness of many subjects, Shadow grumbling about his breakfast being cold but really thinking about a smile that he couldn't quite decipher and worrying about being beaten up in turn by an angry redhead.

Sonic's mind lingered on the way that red eyes were cast to the ground, guilty and almost shy, certainly awkward, but not in a way that was entirely unappealing. He thought about reasoning and he thought about his arm, but, mostly, his mind was occupied by the rumblings of his stomach.

Knuckles thought about talking to Rouge on his own, and Rouge thought about weaseling a certain boy's phone number out of Sonic.

Shadow thought about a lot of things, but mostly he thought about Rouge and debatable rightness and boys and girls and love and food and tried to figure out _what_, exactly, it all translated to when crammed together and drenched in maple syrup.


	8. An Artist's Eye & Sunlit Conversations

**Hey, everyone! So, this chapter is running a bit late, but I was in the process of buying a new computer, so please forgive me! Hopefully I won't have any issues with the new MacBook (other than the keyboard, which is awkward and difficult to write with). **

**Shadow insight! It seems like more and more of that is coming along, hmm... **

**Not a lot of reviews for the last chapter, I noticed... I hope it wasn't because of the quality problems. I admit that I was half asleep when I wrote parts of it... and there were quite a few spelling mistakes... D:**

**Standard disclaimer applies. **

**Come on guys, share the love! Let me know what you think so I can make whatever changes are needed! :)**

**

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Shadow reclined in his chair, the droning of Stewart going in one ear and out the other. Really, he should have been taking notes, but it was just so hard to kill the unusually comfortable habit of slacking when he knew Rouge would pick up the slack.

He really did need to start taking care of himself, and he knew it. One day, Rouge wouldn't be there to baby him at all hours of the day. He needed to grow up.

Leaning forward with a sigh, he put his pencil to the paper, but he couldn't concentrate enough to copy the words onto paper. Instead, the stick of graphite moved itself in a long sweep in the margins of his paper, vague spikes and curves forming into what could be considered a person, really nothing more than a model made of ball joints and connecting lines. Shadow always seemed to find himself either sketching or playing absently with his guitar when he was bored.

He tried to ignore the hiss of indistinct whispers behind him, but he couldn't help but strain to hear the words that were too low to be distinguished.

The redhead was probably voicing his complaints, hoping to get the dark-haired boy alone to knock him around. The white-haired boy was probably just confused and exasperated, the lavender-haired girl exasperated and somewhat anxious about the whole thing.

Shadow desperately wished that Rouge could be here, if only for the purpose of keeping him from going insane in the buzzing quiet. If only for company, or for some sort of support as he tried to think.

_I wonder what you would think of me now._

He'd helped the blue-haired boy to his table again at lunch, but making a much quicker escape this time. Rouge had said nothing more on the subject she had introduced the night before, but it wasn't hard to see the approving gleam in her eyes when he showed up at the table, a little late and without excuse, but also without her prompting for him to help.

There was nothing about Sonic that made him feel even _remotely_ the way he did when he looked at Maria. He was brash while she was timid, rude while she was gracious, bright where she was muted. There was nothing about him that was like her.

But there was nothing about Shadow that was like his old self, either. _And maybe_, he thought hesitantly, the idea being shoved into the back of his head the moment it was complete, _it wouldn't be wholly terrible._

_You don't know him. He doesn't know you. It wouldn't work._

This idea was considered for a moment before it was smothered by, _I'm not gay._

He sighed internally, his hand tightening around the pencil and fighting the urge to throw it at the droning Stewart so he would just _shut up_ so he could think. He instead turned the page, another miniature two-dimensional person coming to life on the back of his notes.

_She thinks she can put anything in my head and get me to listen, but she can't. It doesn't work like that. She can't just insist that I take interest in someone and have it happen, especially not someone I don't even like._

_But he's not terrible,_ his logical side argued. _He's interesting, and we have things in common._

_Yeah,_ he snorted. _Gang wars and dead friends. What amazing topics of conversation._

Shadow rubbed his hands over his face, fighting the urge to groan. _Spectacular. I'm conversing with myself. I always knew I was unstable.

* * *

_

Sonic decided to forego the locker room, heading directly out to the shiny chrome bleachers, backpack carried by one strap in his good hand. The rest of the team changing, Vector saw the opportunity to talk to the star athlete.

"So, Sonic, what's the verdict?"

The blue-haired boy grimaced. "It doesn't look good for Nationals. The nurse said that it's fractured in a few places, and that alone would take a good eight to ten weeks to heal, but with the skin damage, she can't put me in a cast yet. I'm on some major painkillers and have to go in twice a day to get my bandages changed. I might need some physical therapy to get the same range of motion I had before, since she seems to think there will be some minor muscle scarring as well."

Vector hissed in sympathy, wincing slightly. "That sounds nasty as all hell."

Sonic snorted. "Yeah, it's not fun."

Vector stared at him long and hard, gold eyes steady. "Sonic, I know I was distracted, but it really _did_ look like it was Shadow's fault. It's okay if you tell me."

Sonic shook his head. "That's not how it went down. It was all me, Coach."

The man frowned, fangs digging slightly into his upper lip. "Sonic, I just want this to get taken care of the right way, and if he did something, even if you just provoked him-"

"Seriously, Vector," Sonic replied in a no-nonsense tone. "You _know_ that I wouldn't let anything get in my way of Nationals, especially not some guy. I just wasn't warmed up enough and fumbled on my footing. I had some momentum behind the fall and it really got me good. It was my own fuck-up, and I'm paying the price for it. Maybe I'm just not meant to go to Nationals this year."

The coach let out a surprised bark of laughter. "Fuck that! You're going to Nationals, even if you have to run in a cast. We'll figure something out, Sonic. Just as long as there's no other shit going on, you're _going_."

Sonic smiled a little as the team emerged from the locker rooms, Knuckles jogging over as Vector walked back and leaning against the raised chain-link barrier that led up to the seats. "Hey, man. I thought you'd go back to the room."

Sonic shook his head, replying, "Nah. You guys are still my team, and I should be here. This is as good a place to do some homework as any, I suppose."

Knuckles sighed, glancing back as Vector blew his whistle for them to gather. "Alright, if you say so. Just call me over if anyone gives you a hard time."

"Sure. Get over there, or you'll have to demonstrate everything he says."

Knuckles nodded, turning and jogging back to the other side of the field. Sonic sighed, pulling his text book out of his backpack and struggling to open it with one hand and find the right page. It was even harder to _keep_ it open while retrieving his binder to get to a sheet of lined paper, a light breeze blowing across the field.

Sonic huffed in aggravation, slowly but steadily getting through his math problems and moving on to science.

Stuck on a genetics question, he decided to put off the rest of his homework until later and jerked his knee up to swing the book closed. Getting it and his binder back into his bag, however, was another story.

"Fuck," he mumbled to himself.

"Need help?"

Sonic blinked, turning to see Shadow who was balancing precariously on the outside edge of the bleachers, hands twined into the fence links.

"What are you doing here?" Sonic blurted out before he could stop himself.

Shadow frowned slightly. "I was cutting back across campus to the dorms and saw you were having some trouble. I figured that since your injury was my fault, I should offer to help."

"Oh," he said simply. "Sure, I guess."

Shadow swung one leg over the fence, then the other, stepping up the few stairs to where Sonic sat and grabbing his book and binder. He glanced into the bag to make sure there was nothing that could be damaged before he replaced the things back in their proper place.

"Thanks," Sonic said.

Shadow shrugged and sat, careful to maintain a reasonable amount of distance between them while trying not to be obvious about it. Either way, Sonic noticed.

They were silent for a moment. When Sonic was about to ask what he wanted, Shadow asked, "Why didn't you tell them it was me?"

Sonic blinked, surprised. Then he frowned, taking a moment to consider. "I don't know. I guess I just grew up with the idea of never showing pain or weakness. Where I came from, if you named names, you could get in some major trouble."

Shadow made a soft noise under his breath, eyes focused on something vague and far away. "I don't get it. I mean, I understand what you're talking about, but I don't understand why you wouldn't say anything. I basically just ruined everything for you, and you're not doing a thing."

Sonic shrugged, sighing, and leaned back against the bleachers behind him. Holding his injured arm steady with his good hand, he closed his eyes and rolled his head back to enjoy the sunlight. "Everything happens for a reason."

Shadow turned, pulling his legs up and balancing cross-legged on the thin metal bench. "How can you be so optimistic?"

Sonic shrugged again, not bothering to open his eyes, but voice much more serene than it was a moment ago. It was almost… Zen. "I think it's realistic to believe that everything influences other parts of life. So, in theory, it's true. Everything that happens, it happens because of something else, whether it's someone else's decision or your own. I don't think there's any such thing as chance."

Shadow frowned. "So you think my injuring you was fate?"

Sonic cracked open one eye and grinned toward the other boy. "Yeah, I suppose so."

Red eyes widened slightly. "You're crazy. There's no such thing as fate or destiny. Life is just a series of random occurrences."

"You think that it's a coincidence that we are completely alike and yet complete opposites?" Sonic asked, sitting up straight. "Think about it. We have everything in common, but yet we're almost completely different. How can you deny that it's something more than spontaneous events?"

Shadow swallowed. "What do you mean?"

Sonic frowned, frustrated. "We look almost exactly alike. Are you trying to tell me that it's just coincidence?"

"Yes," Shadow answered. "Some people look alike. Some don't."

"I'm not talking about _some people_," Sonic growled. "What about _us?_ That's what I want to know."

Shadow tried to ignore the way that his stomach squirmed with the way Sonic said 'us'. "The issue could be resolved easily with genetic testing."

The look on the blue-haired boy's face was as close to priceless as Shadow could imagine. "How is that an 'easy' solution?"

"Genetic testing is much more simple than it was a hundred years ago," the black hedgehog replied. "If you're that concerned, it could be resolved within an hour. I admit that I'm curious about our similarities, but I believe that's just what they are- similarities."

Sonic turned, mirroring Shadow's position by folding his legs under him. "I don't understand how you can think that. Everyone says how we look alike. Doesn't it make you wonder?"

Shadow sighed slightly. "There are some things that are fundamentally different, though. They may _look_ similar, but we are far from identical."

The pale hybrid leaned forward. "How so?"

Shadow sighed impatiently. "Our eyes are a different shape- mine are more slanted than yours. And the shape of our faces is different, too- mine is sharper, more angular, but yours is rounder. I'm a little taller, and my hands are bigger than yours. And obvious things, like skin tone and eye color and hair color."

Sonic frowned, a tiny pucker appearing between his eyebrows. "How do you notice all that?"

Shadow tried his hardest not to flush. "I draw quite a bit- I notice small details about people. A lot of the things I enjoy are about small things- tiny lines, minute changes in rhythm and tone."

"I'm the opposite," the other replied. "I'm about big things, big events. Speeding up to pass someone, winning races by a huge gap and shaving seconds off my records- which in running is huge. I'm about making big changes, like taking in the kids. Before I found Tails, I never would have thought that I'd be who I am today. I honestly didn't think I'd live much past my fifteenth or sixteenth birthday, and I'm eighteen now. I love to surprise myself and everyone else."

"Eighteen?" Shadow asked with a frown. "You're younger than I am."

"By how much?" Sonic asked with a frown. "I was born on June 21, 2092."

Shadow snorted softly. "Summer equinox, of course. I was born on December 21, 2091."

Sonic tilted his head slightly. "That settles it, then."

"Hm?"

"We may be animal hybrids, but all kemonomimi carry like humans, for nine months. We're only six months apart- exactly six months. In case you hadn't noticed, six months isn't nine."

"It means nothing for fathers," Shadow pointed out. "All that tells us is that we don't have the same mother."

Sonic sighed. "Kemonomimi mate for life, you know. Don't you read? They keep the same mate but leave the children behind as a result of animal instinct."

Shadow frowned, chewing on the inside of his lip. "I didn't know that. About the mating thing."

Sonic shrugged sheepishly. "I like science. When I was growing up, too, I always wanted to know why I didn't have parents, or why I didn't know them. I hated the idea of being left alone. I think that's probably the reason why I took in the others."

"From what I can see," the elder started hesitantly. "I don't really know them, but… they look like good kids. They probably wouldn't have turned out that way if you hadn't helped them."

Sonic's eyes widened. "But yesterday-"

Shadow huffed softly, cutting off the other. "I'm not good with others. And first impressions-wise, I found you to be an pretentious know-it-all."

His almost-identical counterpart grinned suddenly. "I thought you were a arrogant jackass. Funny, how that works."

"Twenty-four hours can change a lot," Shadow replied simply. "Though I admit that I mostly have put in the effort for my own and Rouge's sake rather than yours."

Sonic shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Family comes first. But you seem to be a lot cooler of a guy than I gave you credit for."

Shadow chuckled slightly. "I suppose that just proves the notion that first impressions aren't always correct."

"This is a pretty serious first conversation, too. I'm pretty sure that the first thing I ever talked about with Knuckles was actually an argument over whose fault it was that we ran into each other."

"Lovely," the dark-haired boy snorted. "Though you were probably much younger when you met him."

"Yeah," Sonic agreed. "It just kind of seem like he's always been there and has always been my best friend."

"Rouge is like that for me," Shadow admitted, leaning back on his elbows on the bench. "Has always been there, attempting to boss me around and generally succeeding. Like now, when she told me to go and make nice because I was wrong. She's the sense of social reason that I apparently don't possess."

"You seem to be doing pretty well on your own," Sonic replied, leaning back against the bleacher behind him and closing his eyes. "I haven't felt the need to kill you yet, which is impressive. It took Silver less than thirty seconds for me to try and go after him."

"As I recall, it took less than that for me, as well."

"You're different. You were _trying_ to piss me off, and it was only that one time. Silver was always doing it unintentionally and constantly." Sonic yawned, cracking open one eye to glance at his phone. "Damn, it's getting late. I need to hit the dorms to drop off my bag and the infirmary to change my bandages."

Shadow sat up and frowned. "Can you carry your bag by yourself? I'm headed back to the dorms, myself. It wouldn't be an inconvenience for me to take it for you."

Sonic tilted his head, a half-smile, half-frown on his face. "Are you sure? You don't have to do it because you feel guilty. I mean, I _can_ carry my own bag and books and stuff."

"I don't mind."

Sonic sighed, frowning. "I hope you don't try to treat me like a girl once I'm healed, because I'll lay you out before you know what hit you."

Shadow blinked. "I didn't mean-"

Sonic raised and dropped one shoulder, kicking his backpack over, standing and leaning over to crack his back. As he glanced out to the field, he noticed his redheaded best friend shoot him an alarmed glance. Sonic waved his hand to signal it was fine and that he was going to head back. Knuckles shook his head in exasperation, turning back to the task at hand.

"No big. Just letting you know. I'm not a girl, and I _can_ take care of myself, injured or not."

"I understand," the elder replied, lifting the backpack onto his shoulder. _I desperately hope I'm not half as obvious as I believe I am,_ he thought. "I won't be confusing you with a female anytime soon. There is a difference between being injured and being feminine."

A small smile spread across Sonic's face. "Good, so we understand each other. Well… let's go. Practice will end soon and changing the bandages takes a bit of time."

"Sure," Shadow replied, lowering his eyes away from bright green, a slight flush spreading over his face at the sight of the boy's smile. "Lead the way."


	9. Warnings & Friendship

**Hey again. Short chapter today, since I'm pretty tired and could use some extra rest.**

**This is mostly a transition chapter. It's not a filler, per se, but let's just say that it's not exactly pertinent to the plot. We'll be entering the metaphorical second arc with this chapter. It's leading us from Shadow and Sonic being enemies into the friends portion. **

**Many of you may be slamming your fists on the counter and asking "Where the hell is my yaoi, woman?" Well, be patient. I can't make them fall in love in two days (since in all actuality, that's all these nice chapters have amounted to. It's kind of pathetic, really). You'll receive your yaoi in due time. :3**

**Standard disclaimer applies. Still not mine.

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"I can get it from here, really," Sonic insisted.

Shadow stared at him and shook his head a bit. "No. I can't let you carry a twenty-pound bag with one hand up five flights of stairs."

Sonic twitched, glancing at the door to the stairs with a frown. "Well, when you put it that way…"

Shadow snorted, hitching the bag up slightly on his shoulder. "Let's just go. You need to get to the infirmary, correct?"

Sonic hesitated. "Yeah, but… our room isn't exactly clean."

"I'm sure I've seen worse."

The younger laughed nervously. "I don't know about that. It's pretty bad."

Shadow shrugged. "Well, I won't know until I see it. I don't even have to- I can just leave the bag outside, you know."

"No, no, I mean…" Sonic sighed, running his good hand back through his hair. "Never mind. Whatever, let's just get up there." He pushed through the stairwell, taking slow steps as to not jostle his arm. Shadow was patient as he trailed behind, grabbing the door as Sonic struggled to open the heavy metal slab with one hand.

"Thanks," he said. "It's just that one there. Hang on, I gotta get me keys…"

Unclipping the key ring from the strap of his bag, Sonic wiggled the right one into the keyhole, pushing in with his knee and turning the handle at the same time. The door pushed in with a loud squeak, and Shadow kicked the bottom of it. "Stupid thing. Always gives me trouble when I don't need it. Anyway, this is it."

He wasn't kidding when he said it was messy, Shadow discovered. Both bunks were unmade, clothes strewn over the floor and the one computer desk that was shoved in the corner covered with papers and loose wires. Shadow blinked, placing the bag just inside the door and stepping in to look at one paper that caught his eye- a blueprint, something of the quality that Nega would produce, and _he_ had a Master's degree in mechanics. It was also hand drawn, notes in chicken-scratch handwriting surrounding the outline of what appeared to be a laser-equipped nuclear-powered plane.

He turned to Sonic, and he must have looked alarmed, because the boy was sheepish when he said simply, by way of explanation, "Tails likes airplanes."

"The eight-year-old _designed_ this?" He replied. "This is amazing. How could he have the education necessary to know the balance of the engine propulsion and nuclear energy exponentials? Even _Ivo_ has trouble with this, and he's been studying it for years!"

Sonic fidgeted uncomfortably. "What can I say? Tails is a special kid. Intellectually, he probably should be in a PhD program, but I can't allow him to get so out of his league with people so much older than he is. The board doesn't know what to do with him, and really, neither do I. We just try to keep him occupied, and now that he's in the high school, he pretty much gets free reign of the tech lab."

"You try to keep him _occupied?_" Shadow was almost horrified. "A aircraft like this should be kept an absolute secret. This is an advance in the current technology by at least a decade."

Sonic frowned, becoming uneasy with the way Shadow's scarlet eyes were wide and alarmed. He grabbed the blueprint away, folding it and placing it carefully into his sling. "Look… I know. Sometimes the things Tails says scares the shit out of me. He's _so_ smart that I'm afraid to get his IQ tested. There isn't anything that he doesn't know. He's basically a prodigy, and I just… I don't want him to get taken away. I want him to have as much of a normal life as he can. I don't want him thrown into the spotlight, and he's promised not to build anything illegal again so long as we let him have free reign of his blueprints. Even though I guess it's not illegal if it doesn't exist yet… but the weapons he designs to put on his planes could probably get him in some serious trouble. He already got in trouble once because the government thought he stole a military-issued plane. We got there before he could say that he'd built it himself. We just explained that he was a smart kid who loved planes and that he didn't think he was doing anything wrong. He was underage, so they let him off the hook."

"Why wouldn't you want him to be challenged to the best of his ability?" Shadow asked. "I know you care about him, but why would you have him waste his talents by passing time in a school where he's smarter than the entire school board put together?"

Sonic swallowed, eyes downcast as he began to pace the room. "I want him to be a normal kid. I mean, I found him when he could barely walk, and yet he could already talk in longer sentences than kids four times his age. He built his first fully-functional plane when he was five and was building microtechnology six months later to make it smarter. I mean…" The blue-haired boy sounded helpless. "What was I supposed to do? I didn't want him to get taken away. I love the kid like he's my brother or _mine_ or something."

Shadow swallowed, heart beating a mile a minute under the force of adrenaline and a new respect for the child he'd passed off as just that- a child.

"Don't tell anyone," Sonic begged, face fallen to the point of despair. "Please. I'm doing everything I can for him, and I want him to have everything, but… not yet. Just not yet. He doesn't understand that some people are just _bad_. He thinks that everyone can be fixed and that everything _should_ be fixed. I don't want him to get taken advantage of, especially not by something like the military where he won't be able to pull himself back out once he's in."

"I won't tell, but…" Shadow paused, searching his mind for options, possibilities. "You need to watch him. When it comes to intellect like this, he could certainly construct something that could cause _astronomical_ damage."

Sonic sat heavily on the edge of the lower bunk. "I know. He would never do it on purpose, though. He's a good kid."

"That may be so, but that alone isn't cause for assurance." Shadow leaned back against the wall. "It could just start as an emotional situation that got out of hand. Then, before you know it, chaos erupts and people are dead. You need to be very careful."

Sonic sighed, good hand rubbing over his face. "I know, I know. _It happens faster than you can stop, even if you know it's happening-_ I'm familiar with it. Tails was the only one who was with us when it happened, so, to an extent, he knows it, too. Even so, he says that he wouldn't have what he needs to build these designs, anyway. Something about solar panels and a twelve-cylinder engine- I can't really keep up. I just have confidence in him."

They were silent for a few long minutes, tension echoing between white-washed walls. Shadow could see the distress on Sonic's face as he rested his temple against one metal support of the bunk bed.

"I apologize," he started softly. "I can see that you're distressed. It's really none of my business."

Sonic shrugged. "I always knew Tails was designing things that could be dangerous. I guess it just never really occurred to me how out of my league I am with him."

Shadow sighed- he'd fucked it up, this time. Sonic had obviously worried about this before, and he had confirmed his worst fears. "If he's made it this far, I'm sure he'll be fine. He was a sense of reason, and I'm sure he won't do anything rash. He cares about you too much to put you and the others in danger."

"Yeah," Sonic mumbled dejectedly, obviously not convinced. "Anyway… I really have to go get my bandages changed. My arm is starting to itch."

"Do you want me to go with you?"

The boy shrugged. "You don't have to. I mean, you can if you want to, but… it's pretty gross."

"I can handle it," the elder insisted with a wry smile, stepping forward to help the other to his feet.

Sonic blinked, staring at him for a moment before asking, "So… does this mean that we're friends?"

Shadow's smile faded slightly. "I don't know. Do you want to be?"

The blue-haired boy tilted his head, considering. "Yeah, I guess I do." Sonic fought the urge to grin when the uncertainty on the other's face faded and his eyes lit up.

"Then we are." Shadow swallowed back the sudden wave of… _happiness_ that welled up.

"Cool. Now you get to see my arm, if you still think you can handle it." Sonic grinned, heading to the door. "I'll warn you, it's pretty disgusting. Just try not to throw up."

"I have a strong stomach," Shadow countered. "Just try not to cry too much."

"_Cry_- Are you kidding me? I didn't even cry when I got it." Sonic pouted indignantly, holding the door open with his foot as Shadow followed him out, closing it behind them. "I'm a strong motherfucker. I don't cry for anything, unlike _you_, emo-child. Come on, what the hell kind of clothes are these? You looked like you just fell out of Marilyn Manson's closet."

Shadow settled into the banter with surprising ease. "Hey, Marilyn Manson was an _excellent_ musician."

"Yeah, maybe, if you like whine-asses that scream into a microphone. Seriously- I can't imagine why that kind of music was ever popular!"

"Maybe because it was an innovation to the tired old system of rock and roll. Oh, but I suppose you _like_ that generic style."

"Rock and roll is _not_ generic. It's a great style, and it has stayed pretty constant throughout the hundred-plus years it's been around. But seriously, you really need a new wardrobe."

"What _are_ you, _Queer Eye?_ Have you _looked_ in a mirror? You look terrible."

"_Hey!_ I'm _injured_, and no thanks to you-"

"Oh, shut it. If you didn't turn me in, you don't get to whine about it."

"But-! Oh, you _jackass!_"

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Sonic was surprised to find that he actually _enjoyed_ the other boy's company. For being so uptight, he really _did_ seem to have a lot of opinions and experience in everything from sports to music.

He seemed to pay so much more attention to him than Knuckles did- half the time with the redhead, Sonic had to repeat what he'd said four or five times before it actually sunk in. Shadow never missed a word, and it was refreshing as well as sort of alarming.

He noticed every shift in his expression, every twitch of his lips, and he interpreted each and every one _perfectly_. The elder boy could read him like a book, and Sonic had never felt so vulnerable.

Maybe the other really _could_ read his thoughts, at least if he was looking closely enough.

Sonic had to admit, though, that it was actually kind of thrilling to be paid such close attention to. He and Knuckles were always looking after the kids, and Silver and Blaze were too caught up in avoiding their attraction that Sonic was lucky if they noticed him sitting next to them.

Even sitting in the nurse's office, Shadow was paying close attention. The woman swabbed his ripped skin with straight alcohol, and though Sonic made no noise, he knew that Shadow saw the expression on his face when he winced in sympathy.

It was a little strange, yes, and Sonic wasn't exactly used to such attention, but he couldn't deny that he appreciated that someone was looking out for him.

It was… nice.


	10. Moonlight & Mystic Melodies

**Hello again! Another chappy finally up, and it's the first one EVUH with my new Mac... :D It takes a little longer to write since I'm not quite used to the system and keyboard yet, but I'll get there.**

**Standard disclaimer applies. Also, the song used here is called "Sakura Drops" by the ever-lovely and inspirational Utada Hikaru. Unfortunately, I don't own the song OR her, so the disclaimer applies for that, too.**

**As you can see, we're slowly edging our way into the shounen-ai. And I DO mean slowly. **

**Many thanks to my wonderful reviewers! *teary eyes* I don't think I've ever had regular readers before! It's such an amazing feeling! This one is for you guys!

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A week had passed before Sonic knew it, and that week was followed by several more. Things were finally starting to settle down, and for the first time, the blue-haired boy finally felt like he could relax.

Knuckles was spending less and less time with Sonic as the days passed, caught up in his crush on Rouge. Even so, he never failed to turn up to herd the kids to and from meals and at night before the RA checked in for curfew. Sonic didn't really mind it so much- he figured that his best friend deserved some time to himself, though whether or not he chose to spend it _alone _was debatable.

Sonic didn't mind having more time to himself, either. It took him an amazingly longer amount of time to finish his homework when he was dealing with his newly-wrapped cast. The thing _itched_ like a motherfucker and was bulky as all hell. Having less time with Knuckles also meant more time with Tails, and, whenever he popped up, Shadow.

The elder boy always found Sonic when he least expected it, whether it was when he was walking around campus after class or in the stairwell up to his floor, sometimes when he was in the tech lab watching Tails build his newest gadget, others when he was on his way to the infirmary to get his arm checked on. Shadow always seemed to find him at least once a day, sometimes for no reason at all except to bitch at each other for some reason or another.

If it had been anyone else, Sonic might have found it annoying, but, for Shadow, it just seemed normal. The other was going through as much separation from _his_ best friend as Sonic was. That was one of his frequent topics of bitching- that Rouge had blown him off for this or that- _that_ usually being Knuckles. His annoyance with the redhead was usually off the charts, but it was probably because he was used to having his friend to himself.

Sonic sighed, knowing that he really _should_ be paying attention to what Tails was rambling about. The little boy was latched onto his hand, babbling away about something or another as Sonic brought him back to the dorms.

"And Amy said that she was having trouble with her iPod, so I promised her that I would try to fix it. I just think that the fiber optics for the screen have probably expired, so it should be an easy repair."

"That's good," Sonic replied. "How have your classes been going?"

"Oh," Tails said. "Well, to be honest, they're a little boring. It's okay, though, because they give me lots of work to do, and even if I finish it fast, it's more fun than the other things I was doing before. I have a five-page paper due on Friday, so I should probably get started on that."

"You have tonight and tomorrow to get it done, though, so that should be plenty. Just make sure you don't miss anything, and make sure you cite your sources."

"I will. I like MLA format, it's a lot easier than APA. But then again, MLA is a bit harder when you have to find everything you need, especially on unfinished sources."

"I just hate citing sources in general," Sonic admitted to the blonde boy. "It's really annoying."

"Yeah, I guess it _can_ be tedious."

Sonic paused at the door, swiping his key thorough for Tails to enter and holding the door.

The blonde frowned. "You're not coming?"

Sonic shook his head. "Nah, I'm gonna walk around for a little while, maybe look for Knuckles and make sure he doesn't get into _too_ much trouble."

"Oh," Tails replied, frowning. "I guess so. I like Rouge, though, she's nice. You should find someone like that who makes you happy, too!"

Sonic just about choked on his own tongue. "I don't know, Tailsy. I'm pretty happy as I am."

Tails gave him _the look_, the one that clearly was skeptical and said _I don't really believe you._

"I _am," _Sonic insisted. "Besides, someone needs to look after you guys, right? I have too much work to do to get slowed down by someone else."

"Then get someone who can keep up," Tails replied with a frown. "You look funny whenever you see Knuckles with Rouge. We've all noticed it, Sonic. Chip, too. It makes Amy sad."

Sonic groaned slightly. "You guys are killing me. You can't just be trying to push me onto someone else. No mater what, you're gonna be stuck with me, okay? And Amy, well, she'll find someone that's better for her than an old guy like me. But that's just between us, okay?" He grinned a little. "I don't want her rage coming down over my head. She can save it for Knuckles or whatever other boy she finds to push around."

Tails gave him a look that was just so _sad_ that it made Sonic hesitate, crouching down to his level and putting his hands on the younger boy's shoulders.

"Tails," Sonic sighed. "Look, I'm fine. After everything that happened before, I just... I just think it would be easier for me, at least for now, to stay single. I don't _want_ to have anyone, okay? I mean... it's just me. You know how I am. I don't want to leave anyone behind, waiting for me to come back or come around or just come to my senses. It might just be better this way. And I... I'm happy."

"No, you're not," Tails replied. "You're not happy. You smile, but you aren't. But if this is how you want to be, Sonic... you're like my big brother, and you try so hard to make me and everyone else happy... I just want you to be happy, too."

Sonic sighed, ruffling blonde hair and standing. "Thank you, Tails. You're like my brother, too. I just want what's best for you, and I want you to know that I'm always here. Not distracted by someone else."

"I can share," the boy pouted. "Just you be happy, and I will be, too. Anyway... I have to start my paper."

Sonic held the door open for the boy to enter the dorms, closing it behind him and turning away with a heavy sigh.

Darkness had already fallen, the campus illuminated by the lampposts that were stationed every so often along the concrete pathways. The moon was on its way back from full, a circle almost all the way around until an imaginary line, where it simply curved back inward. It was still fairly warm, but Sonic expected _that_ wouldn't last much longer, if the falling rate of temperature was any indication. Especially with the breeze- he was already starting to get goosebumps.

_Maybe I should have gotten a sweatshirt,_ he thought, shoving his hands into his fleece-lined pockets.

Sonic sighed, feet carrying him around the campus aimlessly, past the other students that headed back to the dorms in their individual groups of friends. He walked past a few individuals, fast-walking to get back home, and a few couples, clasped hands swinging between them as they headed anywhere they felt like going.

He didn't really want to be near anyone right now, Sonic realized. He was just an inexplicably strange mood and had a desire to just be alone.

Sonic cut off the path, sneakers squelching slightly against the partially-damp grass, breathing in the clean air that always came with being outside at night. He liked this- the day was for running, for the fast-pace events that barreled one after another. The day was for everyday life.

The night... the night was for quiet. For solitude, for him to clear his mind. To think the things that he couldn't get away with during the day, under the watchful eyes of his friends and the kids.

Sonic liked nighttime. He liked the dark, the only light coming from the moon and the pinprick stars. He liked having the freedom to just... breathe.

Sonic leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree, closing his eyes and leaning his head back against the rough bark. He listened to the hushed and distant voices in the courtyard, to the invisible bugs that chirped from under rocks and in the grass. He listened to his own breathing, mostly, letting the day's frustration wash through him and out.

Then he heard it.

"_Koi wo shite owari wo tsuge_

_Chikau koto wa kore ga saigo no _heartbreak

_Sakura sae kaze no naka de_

_Yurete yagate hana wo sakasu yo_

_Furidashita natsu no ame ga_

_Namida no yoko wo tootta sutto_

_Omoide to _daburu_ eizou_

_Aki no _dorama_ no saihousou,"_

Sonic frowned, the sound of an acoustic guitar and quiet voice echoing over the quiet landscape. He didn't recognize the language, but knew it as something most likely Asian.

Listening harder, he recognized the voice as male, and from the tone of the guitar, whoever was playing it was likely playing without a pick- the sound lacked the twang of plastic-on-metal.

"_Doushite onaji you na _panchi

_Nando mo kuracchaun da_

_Sore demo mata tatakaun darou_

_Sore ga inochi no fushigi_

_Koi wo shite subete sasage_

_Negau koto wa kore ga saigo no _heartbreak

_Sakura sae toki no naka de_

_Yurete yagate hana wo sakasu yo_

_Kurikaesu kisetsu no naka de_

_Kutsu ga surihetteku motto_

_Kata no chikara nuite_

_Kako wa dokoka ni shimatte oke_

_Koko kara sou tookunai darou_

_Mita koto mo nai keshiki_

_Tomaranai mune no itami_

_Koete motto kimi ni chikazukitai yo_

_Hitomawari shite wa modori_

_Aoi sora wo zutto tesaguri,"_

Sonic followed the voice, though quietly, not wanting to be discovered.

The voice sounded almost... sad. He wondered if whoever was singing knew what they were saying, knew the emotions that they were putting out through the nighttime air.

Around another bend on the invisible path, and Sonic knew he was getting close. Through the trees, a labyrinth of short concrete walls and pathways rose from the darkened campus, one flickering light in the middle. A figure sat on one of the walls cross-legged, guitar balanced on his lap as he leaned forward to see where his fingers were moving.

If it wasn't for the voice, Sonic may not have known the person was a boy- he was slender, lightly muscled and in slightly-baggy pants and sweatshirt, hair damp and sleek, down to his shoulders, the color obscured by the dim lighting.

Sonic blinked, leaning back against the tree he stood next to, simply watching and listening. He felt nervous and awkward, just standing here and watching from the darkness rather than making his presence known. _Of course,_ he reasoned silently, _he might stop playing if he knew I was here._

And it seemed like if that music stopped, whatever the blue-haired boy was feeling now would stop, too, and the unrecognized moment would be broken. Because Sonic didn't really understand what was going on with this whole thing- maybe it was just what Tails had been saying that was making him feel this way- but, even knowing that the musician was a boy, not even really knowing what he looked like... Sonic kind of thought he was maybe a little bit beautiful.

His heart gave a little shudder-lurch at the thought.

"_Koi wo shite owari wo tsuge_

_Chikau koto wa kyou ga saisho no _good day

_Sakura made kaze no naka de_

_Yurete sotto kimi ni te wo nobasu yo_

_Suki de suki de dou shiyou mo nai_

_Sore to kore to wa kankei nai."_

The boy placed his hands over the strings after a moment, halting the vibrations and, therefore, the sound. He sighed, shoulders slumping, and looked up, the light finally falling on his face. Familiar tan skin was illuminated, followed by a sharp facial structure, dark hair, and, finally, wide scarlet eyes.

Sonic swallowed nervously at the look that came over Shadow's face- it was a mix of rage, mortification, disbelief and near _terror_.

"Sonic? What are you doing here?"

The blue-haired boy took a step back, mind still reeling.

_Shadow. It was Shadow. What the hell?_

"I, uh, I mean... I was walking, and I heard you playing, and I don't know... I mean, don't be freaked out or anything-! You were really good." Sonic stuttered to a halt, standing awkwardly, not sure whether he should stay, leave, or run like all hell, broken arm be damned.

Shadow swung his legs over the wall, holding his guitar carefully as he placed it into its case, clipping it in. His shoulders quivered slightly and he said nothing.

Sonic panicked. "Uh, no, don't. You were here first, I'll go, okay? I'm really sorry." He turned on his heel, starting to leave when Shadow's voice stopped him.

"Do you know the song?" He asked softly, carefully.

"What?" Sonic asked. "No. I've never heard it before."

"Oh," the dark-haired boy replied, sighing heavily in what looked like relief. Sonic frowned, confused, still unsure of whether he should stay or go.

He took another step.

"No, wait," Shadow sighed. "I'm unused to having others listen to me play. Even Rouge... I apologize. It's a rather personal thing for me."

"It was my fault," Sonic replied. "I was lurking around like a creeper. You have every right to be freaked out. I should have said something."

Shadow sighed, standing, but leaving his guitar in-case on the ground. He settled back onto the wall. "Why are you all the way out here? It's late, isn't it?"

Sonic glanced at his phone. "Nine forty-five. I didn't even know this was here or how I got here. Like I said, I was just walking around."

Shadow hummed under his breath, seemingly content where he was, but not motioning for the other to approach, either. "We're out somewhere behind the music building. It used to be the main building until the school got too large, or so Rouge's teacher says. The classrooms were converted into practice rooms, and they never did anything about the courtyard. I only found it last week."

Sonic nodded slightly, glancing around before he looked up at the sky, anything to avoid the crimson stare of his friend. He still couldn't believe that he'd thought of _Shadow_ -even if he didn't know it was him at the time- as _beautiful._ He also couldn't seem to calm the rapid beating of his heart.

"So, um, what language was that?"

Shadow was suddenly cautious, gaze averted. "Japanese. The song is old- I don't remember where I learned it or what it's called."

"Do you know what it's about?"

"No." Shadow's answer was sharp, maybe a little sharper than it should have been for Sonic to completely believe him. Of course, he was still mostly fixated on how unfamiliar the other looked.

"You look different," Sonic said.

Shadow's head tilted a bit to the side, face set in a small frown. "How?"

"I don't know- your hair. Your clothes. Just different?"

Shadow fidgeted slightly. "Different... _bad_?"

Sonic shook his head, leaning back against the tree. His eyes traced the form of the elder boy and he chewed on the inside of his lip. "No," he replied. "Just _different_. I didn't know that it was you until you were done."

Shadow nodded vaguely, pulling at the cuffs of his sweatshirt. "I didn't feel like getting back into normal clothes to go out. At night is really the only time that I'd allow myself to be seen in anything other than what I'd usually wear. Sweatpants are more comfortable, anyway."

"That's true," Sonic conceded. "I don't know. I guess I'm just being weird."

"It's understandable," Shadow replied. "The darkness couldn't possibly help, either."

Sonic sighed, reaching into his pocket as his phone buzzed, a new text message displayed on the screen.

_Where are you? _Knuckles wrote. _Curfew is in ten minutes. _

"Shit," Sonic mumbled.

"What is it?"

"I have to go," the younger answered. "Curfew is in ten minutes and Knuckles is having a minor spaz attack. You should probably head back, too."

"True." Shadow slid from the wall, picking up his guitar case and pulling the strap over his shoulder. He walked across the courtyard to where Sonic stood, taking a left and cutting diagonally through the campus.

Sonic blinked.

"Are you coming?" Shadow asked. "If you go back the way you came, you'll be late. This way is faster."

The other nodded, removing his hands from his pockets and following at an awkward jog to catch up, slowing to a fast-paced walk. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Dunno. Just felt like I needed to say it." He raised and dropped his shoulders in a shrug. "For being cool about my intrusion, I guess. You could have just flipped out and left, but you didn't."

"I suppose. But if I really wanted to be alone, I probably should have stayed in my room."

"You're not exactly making it easy for me to apologize."

"You aren't required to apologize. I was at fault. Again." Shadow sighed, obviously attempting to avoid eye contact.

"Is that what this is about?" Sonic scowled, reaching out with his god hand to grab one of the handles of Shadow's guitar case.

"Careful! We have to keep going, we're going to be late."

"No, okay? Stop. You're going to listen to me."

Shadow halted obediently- rather, more like he had no other choice- scowling dangerously at Sonic. He pulled away, crossing his arms over his chest.

"_What_, Sonic?"

The blue-haired boy's scowl easily matched his friend's. "I should really just beat the shit out of you with my cast. Then maybe you'd think we were even." He frowned, equal parts hurt and pissed off. "I don't want you to be friends with me because you feel guilty. If that's what this friendship is going to be built on, you might as well just go. If you're going to be my friend, then just do it because you _want_ to, not because you feel like you have to."

Shadow was silent for a while before he stared at the ground, mumbling something that Sonic couldn't hear.

"What?"

"...I said that... I _like_ being your friend. I want to be. But I don't think that I can forget the way I hurt you. Every time I see you, all I can see is the cast. And when that comes off, there will be a scar. It's not going to go away just because I want it to. It's not going to change the fact that I was too self-absorbed to pay attention to what you were really trying to say. I lost my temper, and you got hurt. I promised that it would never happen again, and it already has."

Sonic sighed heavily, reaching out to grab Shadow's should and shaking him slightly. "You need to stop. I'm _fine_, and I'm not angry. It doesn't even hurt anymore. It only makes _me_ feel bad to watch you be so miserable about this. I don't care about the cast or about the scar. It doesn't matter."

"It _does_!" The other insisted. "This isn't the first time that I've hurt someone because I was careless. I just... I don't want to hurt anyone, not again. Especially not you."

Sonic's lips twitched upward in a small smile, dropping his hand. "What's so important about me? I'm just a reformed delinquent."

Shadow huffed, mumbling something under his breath that Sonic, again, couldn't decipher. Before he could ask, his phone buzzed again. Grumbling, he pulled it from his pocket. _Five minutes! Where the fuck are you?_

"Fuck, we gotta jet," Sonic exclaimed. "Five minutes."

"If we're late, I blame you."

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Sonic skidded into his room not thirty seconds before the RA knocked on the door. Luckily, it distracted Knuckles from his űber-bitching long enough for Sonic to make his retreat into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

The redhead punched the door in frustration, growling, "The least you could do is tell me where you were!"

Sonic spat the foamy toothpaste into the sink, washing it down with a stream of water. "I don't ask where you've been, you know."

"You did the first time," Knuckles growled. "So I get to ask where _you_ were and if you're going to make this a habit."

"Fine, fine," Sonic grumbled, unlocking and opening the door as he headed to the dresser to get out of his damp clothes.

Knuckles waited a moment before he insisted, "_So?_ Where were you?"

"It's not as bad as you think," Sonic sighed, wiggling out of his jeans and into a pair of flannel pants. "I just dropped Tails off and went for a walk. I saw someone I knew, got distracted- we talked. I lost track of time and that was it."

"Who?" the echidna-hybrid pried. "A girl? For god's sake, Sonic, you know I'm not going to be mad. Just _tell_ me and I'll let up."

"Jesus _fuck_, will you just _shut up_ for two seconds so I can change? It wasn't a girl."

Knuckles huffed angrily, climbing onto his bunk and sitting there, watching. "I just don't understand why you're being so defensive, Sonic. There's nothing you could tell me that would surprise me."

The hedgehog-hybrid mumbled under his breath, something about 'nosy sons of bitches' and 'motherfucking hypocrites'. Knuckles decided that, if he wanted to know, he shouldn't comment.

Sonic kicked over a pile of dirty clothes so he could get over to the doorway and flicked off the light, struggling in the dark to get back to his bed and settling in.

"Sonic, I just want you to be honest with me. I've known you forever."

The younger sighed, turning toward the wall and hearing his friend settle in above him. "I was just with Shadow. It wasn't a big deal."

"Then what the hell was the big deal about, Sonic? Sure, I don't _love_ the guy, but it doesn't mean you can't hang out with him. He's _your_ friend."

"Sorry, man," Sonic replied softly. "I'm just out of it tonight."

Because it was true, Sonic hanging out with Shadow was no big deal.

But the rapid beating of Sonic's heart _was._


	11. Plots & Blackmail

**Hey, all! Another chapter from me. Today, we get to see a little of the conniving sides (and the glorious relationship) of Knuckles and Rouge. I really love these two. They're just so fun to write!**

**We're edging closer to that invisible line! It will only be a few chapters, now... because, of course, with all high school dances (especially Homecoming) comes drama. Even I don't know how this is going to play out, but I guess that's the beauty of writing this beast and posting it as I go. I have NO IDEA where it's going to run off to.**

**Expect one or two more chapters this week, but I have a family reunion on Sunday, so likely nothing from me for Saturday - Monday. Just letting you know so you can plan accordingly. xD

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**Shadow: As if anyone would plan their schedule around _your_ horrendous fanfiction. You don't even have twenty reviews.**

**Me: Shut your face.

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"_Homecoming?_" Sonic exclaimed, staring at Knuckles like he was crazy. "_Fuck_, no! How many years has it been around, and never _once_ have we gone to that shit."

"_Sonic_," Knuckles whined. "Come on. It's senior year. We have to go at _least_ once."

Sonic crossed his arms- well, arm- over his chest, shaking his head violently. "Hell _no_. And I do mean _no_. The only reason you want to go is so you can ask Rouge. Now don't get me wrong, the girl is cool, but I'm _not_ going to Homecoming. Besides, I need to chill with Tails, because I can't let him go, either. Not that he'd want to- he'd rather just chill in our room and work on something or another while I do homework."

Knuckles tapped his foot irritably, staring at anyone that glanced at the two for too long... though the middle of the lunch lane was probably _not_ the best place to be having the conversation.

"Okay, I admit that I want to ask Rouge, but I want _you_ to be there, too. It won't be fun if I don't know anyone."

"Knuckles, we've known _everyone_ in our grade since we were _eight_. I doubt there will be anyone there that you _don't_ know." Sonic sighed irritably, forcing his plate off onto the redhead. "Carry this."

Knuckles sighed, putting the plate alongside his on his lunch tray. "Will you just _go_? Silver and Blaze are going, and it won't feel right without you there. Tails can handle himself for one night without you babying him. It will be like old times."

"That's what I'm worried about," the azure-haired boy grumbled. "Then all we need is for me to spike the punch, get a stoned-off-their-asses band, march in strapped and cap any motherfuckers that so much as _look_ at us. No thanks, man."

"Aw, Sonic, you know that's not what I meant," Knuckles groaned. "I just mean us four, having fun, no drama. Just like it was before we got into all that shit."

"Since when did 'just us four' have five?" Sonic replied with a pointed look at his best friend.

Knuckles bristled. "Look, if you have a problem-"

"Relax, relax. You know that I like Rouge, she's cool. She was my friend before she was yours, after all. I just mean that... don't say it'll just be 'us four' when you know damn well that Silver and Blaze will pair off early on and you'll ditch just as fast as they do to be alone with her. I don't want to be stuck alone when you know damn well that, A, I can't dance, and B, I have a broken arm."

"Oh, shut your face. You dance fine, you're just too much of a pansy-ass and yo care too much about what everyone else thinks. I mean, I see your point, but I mean... We just want you to have fun, Sonic. It's like my buddy is gone, replaced by this robo-bro that's on the kids' asses all the time."

Sonic stopped, eyes wide. "Did they say that?"

"Sonic, you're missing the point-"

"No, man, I'm not. Did they _say_ that?"

Knuckles paused, considering. "No, not really. They just think that you're working too hard and they think you should loosen up and have some fun. Tails, especially."

Sonic groaned, leaning back against the tray shelf. "That kid. Ever since that night last week, he just won't shut up about me 'finding someone' and 'being happy'. I hope Amy hasn't gotten to him."

"He really _does_ just want you to be happy, Sonic," Knuckles sighed, grabbing a water bottle from the cooler and starting off toward the dining room. "We all do. And you know that if you humor Tails a little bit, he'll back off, at least for a while. Cut the kid some slack- he's only ever seen you miserably alone or faking-it-happy alone, and he's getting to the age where he's gonna start noticing it more and more. Just find yourself a nice girl to go out with every once in a while."

"Girls are overrated," Sonic replied.

"Is that it?" Knuckles replied, sounding exasperate. "Then, whatever. Find yourself a guy. Its not like it's uncommon, there's all sorts of laws protecting gay rights. It's 2110, not 2010, dumbass."

"Not gay."

"Fuck, then just go get yourself a gerbil and be happy! Just find something to occupy your time other than running, because all the kids are starting to get that the only reason you run is to run away."

"Not true," Sonic snapped. "And you know it."

They halted their arguing in favor of sliding into either side of the booth, plastering on fake smiles for the kids while shooting glares at each other over their heads. Tails, of course, noticed, but said nothing- his unhappy look was enough for them to push their differences aside and begin acting like normal people.

Sonic glanced across the room to a small booth in the back corner- empty.

Again.

Sonic sighed, leaning his head back against the bench support.

Ever since that day a week ago, Shadow had been appearing less and less, and Rouge with him. They both seemed to be avoiding him- and Sonic _knew_ that it was only him because Rouge was always around Knuckles but barely ever spoke to Sonic, and Shadow was always last into class and first out, never so much as turning his head enough to see blue in his peripheral vision- and it was driving the younger boy insane.

He _hated_ being ignored, and more than anything, Sonic wanted to fix it, but whenever he could get Knuckles to ask Rouge about what was up, he would get the relay back that it was nothing, that Shadow was busy and wasn't feeling well lately and that Sonic should just be patient and give him space.

It that wasn't obvious, the hedgehog-hybrid didn't know what was.

He went over that night at least a hundred times in his head, looking for something, _anything,_ that he could have said to upset the other, each and every time coming up blank. Other than possibly intruding on his personal time or maybe offending him with his lack of concern for his injury, Sonic was stumped. Neither seemed to be good enough reasons to get the generally level-headed teen angry at him for such a length of time.

_But,_ Sonic thought, though not without some measure of remorse, _it's for the best._

Because there had to be something wrong with him, or so Sonic thought. Every time he thought about that night, it wasn't so much the words that were stuck in his mind, but the look in crimson eyes when Sonic insisted that he wasn't angry. The way that red-streaked black hair hung, dark and glossy, to thin shoulders. The way that arms crossed over a sweatshirt-clad chest as he shivered in the cooling air.

And Sonic thought that maybe he was going a little- or maybe a lot- insane.

He _wasn't_ gay, he insisted to himself. But he'd never _technically_ had a girlfriend, either. Tikal was as close as he'd ever gotten, really, and that had never been made official- mostly just mutual flirting- before... _that._ After that, Sonic had never really _wanted_ to be near anyone. He has never really noticed other girls like Knuckles and Silver had- well, for Silver, mostly it was Blaze. But Knuckles, at least, had dated a few girls every so often.

Sonic? No one. Ever, if he was completely honest with himself.

Which was rather pathetic, if he thought about it. He'd taken down a gang, gotten drunk more times than he could remember and had essentially adopted four kids, but he'd never been in a relationship.

He'd never even really kissed anyone.

He winced at the thought. Okay, maybe Tails was right. His love life left quite a bit to be desired, but he'd never really _wanted_ anyone after the whole Tikal-thing. It had kind of put a damper on any drive to have a companion- why bother if he was only going to lose them?

That wasn't to say that he didn't _look_ every once in a while. Or maybe the correct term was _notice_... the way that he knew Rouge was attractive, or that Blaze was pretty. He knew, but nothing ever came of it, and he never really cared.

But Shadow... even when Sonic wasn't around him, he always found himself thinking about the way he'd looked that one night. He had never even noticed otherwise, other than thinking he looked 'cool' but what did that even mean?

Sonic sighed in frustration, catching the attention of the others, who exchanged a look that Sonic couldn't quite understand. He grabbed the empty plates and slid from the booth, not minding the chore if he could just get away from those eyes for a few moments.

_I want things to be normal,_ he thought. _I wish the kids weren't getting so old. They're starting to notice things that they shouldn't._

He placed the plates on the thin conveyor belt that tugged them to the washroom, placing the trays on the table beside it. He wondered if he could get away with cutting out completely, but he knew that he couldn't pull that on them. As much as Knuckles deserved it for skipping out lately, Tails would become even more worried, and that was the last thing Sonic needed.

He returned to the booth, not bothering to sit down again, hands supporting his weight as he leaned forward onto the edge of the table. "Ready to go?"

"But Sonic," Tails said softly. "You didn't eat."

Sonic winced internally. "Not hungry, I guess. I'll grab something later if I need it. Alright, let's go."

The kids filed out obediently, and though Chip was immediately absorbed in his solitary chatter, the others shot the hedgehog-hybrid concerned and saddened looks. Sonic felt his chest tighten- he had to learn to fake it better, or else he'd be making the younger kids miserable. And if he wouldn't let anyone else mess with them, he wouldn't allow himself to do it, either.

Those looks were what made Sonic corner Knuckles before class started again, hissing, "Okay, I'll do it. Just remember that this isn't for you, and I'm not going to have any fun at all."

The redhead nodded, a pleased smirk on his face, and replied, "Oh, you'll have fun. I'll make sure of it."

Sonic wasn't sure whether he should be extremely nervous or if he should throw himself off the tech lab.

* * *

"No matter what you threaten me with, I refuse. You cannot make me."

Rouge scowled, hands on her hips, a dangerous glint in aqua-green eyes as she tilted her head back to glare up at him. "Shadow, _don't _push it. You're going to Homecoming, and that's that."

"Your getting me to go to Homecoming is approximately as likely as this tree getting struck by lightening with me _in_ it. Which, in case you were unaware, means _no_." The dark-haired boy frowned, balancing precariously on a limb that was borderline unstable. How he'd gotten up there, Rouge still had no idea, considering the first ten feet up the trunk were completely bare.

"If I have to drug you, I will," she warned. "And if I have to cut down the tree myself, I'll do that, too."

"It makes no difference," Shadow replied. "I'm faster than you are. I'll run."

The girl made a frustrated noise, leaning down into her backpack and drawing out a dime-store paperback, throwing it at him as hard as she could. Shadow batted it away, shaking his hand to erase the sting of he spine connecting with his tender thumb.

"Watch where you're throwing- I play with this hand, and if it's damaged, I'll sue you for its worth."

"What, ten bucks? I think it's definitely worth it."

Scarlet eyes narrowed in irritation. "That's unkind."

"No, you denying me the company of the only person I know at the dance is _unkind_."

Shadow huffed. "You know the redhead. Quite well, I may add."

The reddening of her face was completely worth being hit by the book again.

"That's not what I mean, Shadow."

"Then perhaps you should attempt being clear," he snapped, standing on the branch and pulling himself up higher into the tree, out of range from Rouge's flying possessions. "I said _no_, and I will stand by that. There's absolutely no chance that you will get me into formal clothing."

"That's what prom is for," Rouge sighed. Shadow shuddered. "Oh, stop it. The Homecoming is only a semi-formal."

"Which includes button-up shirts and suits. No, thank you. At least a tuxedo is black."

"There are black suits," Rouge sighed. "And just because it's a semi-formal doesn't mean you have to wear a full suit. You could probably get away with your black jeans and a t-shirt, as long as you put a suit jacket over it. I think it would look nice on you, actually."

He glared at her, but Rouge knew she was winning because he no longer looked as tense as an angry cat. "There will be girls, Rouge, and as you know, I dislike all girls except for you. They are ridiculous and annoying. And don't you _attempt_ to suggest a male. They're just as bad."

Rouge sighed, frowning. "You don't have to take a date. But we _both_ know _exactly_ who you would take if you could. So don't _you_ start."

Scarlet eyes narrowed dangerously. "You know fully well why I dislike your insinuation, as well as why the situation is impossible."

The girl kicked the base of the tree with a scowl. "You're being an idiot and a ridiculous jerk. Maybe if you weren't completely _ignoring_ the kid-"

"_Rouge._" Shadow stared at her as if he was deciding which method with to kill her. He pushed a branch down with one foot until it snapped, falling.

The girl jumped out of the way, swearing all the while as she threw the paperback a _third_ time. "Motherfucking son of a bitch! I'm just trying to _help_ you, and you're trying to kill_ me_, too? What the hell is your problem?"

Rouge knew she may have gone too far when the color drained completely out of Shadow's face. She swallowed, chest constricting slightly at the guilt and sadness that washed over the boy's face. She shuddered out a breath, retrieving her novel and shoving it into her bag, zipping it closed as she walked away.

She was just trying to _help_ him, for god's sake! You'd think that she was trying to send him to his death! Rouge sniffed miserably, knowing that she would have to deal with Shadow's anger, now, as _well_ as her failure...

"Rouge!"

The girl stopped, took in a deep breath before she turned to face the other. "I'm sorry. That was really, _really_ bitchy of me."

"It was," Shadow agreed, eyes not completely full of their sadness, but not full of anger, either, like she'd expected. "But, whatever. Fine. I'll go to the stupid Homecoming."

"Are you serious?" She blurted before she could stop herself. _Damn_, if she'd known that being a bitch would work so well, she would have done it earlier!

"Unfortunately," the other sighed. "But I'm wearing my shoes. And I get the final call on whatever you decide to put me in, because god knows that I have no other choice than to let you dress me."

Rouge squealed happily, throwing her arms around Shadow in a huge hug. "Thank you, _thank you_! I _promise_ that you'll have fun, okay? It's going to be _great_."

Shadow sighed, deflating under the weight of the girl's happiness.

"Fuck my life."

* * *

Knuckles tapped his foot impatiently, glancing around the courtyard as he waited for the other to show up.

_Go figure,_ he thought, _that she would be the one to set the time and be late._

"Knuckles!"

The redhead turned at the sound of the familiar voice, finding his arms suddenly full of white-haired girl. "Whoa, hey. I can only assume this is really good or really bad."

"Really good," she replied. "Really, _really_ good. He says he'll go."

Knuckles sighed in relief, spinning the petite girl around in his arms. "Thank you, _god_. He was the only one I wasn't completely sure of."

"And Sonic?" Rouge asked.

"He's in," the echidna-hybrid answered with a smirk. "I got the kids on my side. Tails gave him _the look_. He's a sucker for the look."

"I don't blame him, the kid's cute as hell," Rouge agreed. "This is perfect. I got Shadow to agree to let me dress him as well, so I'll be sure to make him look awesome. I don't know how you'll manage with Sonic, but you'll have to kick his ass if he doesn't put in the effort, especially with the cards I had to pull with Shadow just to get the guy to _go._ _Sheesh,_ what a scary kid. I'm glad that he likes me."

"Hopefully not _too_ much," Knuckles said with a frown.

Rouge rolled her eyes, pressing a short kiss to his cheek, smiling as his cheeks tinted the color of his hair. "Never enough to change my mind."

He laughed quietly, nuzzling her temple. "You know, I never even _officially_ asked you."

Rouge raised her eyebrows, glancing up. "Is that so?"

"I think that needs to be remedied."

The girl smiled, pulling away and crossing her arms over her chest. "Well?" She insisted with a smirk. "I'm waiting."

"Oh, is that how it's gonna be?" Knuckles replied with a grin, grabbing the girl around the waist as she shrieked. "Maybe I shouldn't bother at all."

"I think you should," Rouge replied. "We wouldn't want there to be any misunderstandings, after all."

"This is true," Knuckles conceded, pulling away and taking her hand. "I hope you don't expect me to kneel, because it's not going to happen, even for you."

"Standing is perfectly fine," the girl replied, heart fluttering in her chest and fighting down the blush that rose on her face.

"Good." Steel-gray eyes focused intently on seafoam green. "Rouge?"

"Yes, Knuckles?"

"Would you like to go to Homecoming with me?"

Rouge smothered the butterflies that were having a party of their own in her stomach. "That would be lovely."

Despite knowing what the answer was before he even asked, Knuckles grinned and pulled the girl in to kiss her forehead. "Great."

Rouge giggled, pushing him away. "Go get some food, kid. We have battle plans to make up tonight."

"Sure, sure," the redhead replied. "I'll see you at eight."

"Eight it is," Rouge answered with a smile. "Don't forget."

"I won't. _You_ don't be late."

"Oh, hush."


	12. Drama & Dress Up

**Hello all! :) I'm back with another chapter of B&B! The drama starts to unfold... I can't wait! (Though this chapter is kind of short... sorry about that! _")**

**A special announcement: due to the amazingness of my new Mac and the wonderful program GarageBand, I have started to make MP3s for character themes and the like. I generally take quite a bit of time to make one, considering that it takes a lot of piecing of sound clips, but I thought that if any of you would want to listen, I should find a way to share. The link and password are on my profile, and I have had a few of my friends use said combination to download, which has worked successfully for them, so hopefully it work for you as well! ^_^" A fair warning, just because my life revolves around music doesn't mean the themes are perfect... though I admit that I'm actually very fond of both Rouge's Theme and Shadow's Theme. Be sure to check back as I post more!**

**Standard disclaimer applies. Not mine. *sobs*

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"You neglected to mention that it's a semi-formal," Sonic grumbled. "How the hell am I supposed to get this friggin' sleeve over my cast?"

"Leave it rolled up?" Knuckles suggested, preoccupied with pulling the top half of his hair back away from his face. "I don't know. You'll figure something out."

"Oh, that's rich," the hedgehog hybrid snapped. "Drag me into this _stupid_ dance and then make me get into a button-up shirt when I only have _one usable hand?_ Thanks, bud. Love you, too."

"Stop bitching," Knuckles sighed, wandering out of the bathroom to where Sonic was tangled in his navy-blue button-up. He sighed, shoving Sonic's good arm through the sleeve, and after a few minutes of trying to get the cast through the other side, gave up. He rolled the sleeve up to the top of the cast, leaving the cuff unbuttoned. "See? Now it looks like you did it on purpose. Tie?"

Sonic swore under his breath, obediently handing over the piece of silk that was tediously matched to his hair color. Sonic couldn't have cared less. "Not too tight. I don't want to look like I'm wearing a collar or a noose or something like that. Leave it loose."

"Fine, princess," the redhead grumbled, fingers moving deftly to knot the sheath of fabric. "There. Is that alright, or do you want me to iron it for you, too?"

"Maybe you should have offered before it was _on_ me," Sonic snarked back. "Sarcastic asshole."

Knuckles sighed, wandering back into the bathroom, his own red button-up undone, paired with black pants, black tie hanging undone over his shoulders. "I wouldn't have gotten you to come if I thought you would be _this_ miserable."

Sonic sighed, tucking his ring necklace under his shirt. "My arm is just really uncomfortable. I can't wait to get this cast off. It itches like fuck."

"Do they still think you'll need PT?"

"Not sure yet. They'll have to check my range of motion after it's off."

"That would be balls. Especially after the physical therapy shit you went through with your leg."

"Don't even start on my leg. I'm amazed Vector even lets me run in the first place. I'm sure he has to know, since the nurse was the one who treated me. They didn't want to take me to a hospital because of the whole kemonomimi thing. They'd only have to take me there if it was something she couldn't handle." Sonic's face was carefully blank, but his mind reeled with the memory of a blood-soaked girl being wheeled into the operating room, human doctors clothed in plastic and paper shouting questions over beeping machines, yelling escalating as one of the machines' beeping flattened out into a straight tone.

They'd hoped to save her, but before she was loaded into the ambulance, Sonic knew that she wouldn't be coming back.

His fault. All his fault.

"Stop," Knuckles said softly. "Don't. I can see it on your face."

"I wasn't-"

"You were. Please, just stop. Don't bring it up, not now. Tonight is supposed to be fun." Knuckles did the buttons up the front of his shirt, leaving his ie undone for the moment.

"Sorry."

The other shrugged. "What are you doing with your hair?"

Sonic gave him a look. "Are you serious?"

"Intensely. So?"

"I honestly don't care. If you want to make a metro of yourself by doing my hair, by all means, go ahead. As long as it doesn't take too long or use too much hair shit."

Knuckles grinned, crouching to pull a rectangular device out from under the sink.

"What the _fuck_ is that?"

"Hair straightener."

"I hope to hell that's not yours."

"Nope. But I'm using it on you, anyway."

"Oh, fuck."

* * *

"If you burn me with this-"

"Shut your mouth. I'm a girl. I do this all the time," Rouge replied, running the flat iron through Shadow's hair, brush following behind.

"You said you've never used this one before."

"I let someone borrow my old one, but it's essentially the same. Stop bitching. There's only one section left, and then I'll just go over it with hair spray."

"I don't see why this is necessary," Shadow sighed. "My hair was perfectly fine."

"You volunteered to let me dress you, and that includes your hair. I need to finish this first, before I can dress you. Otherwise I'll get hairspray all over your clothes."

"Then at least hurry up." He hissed as heat-straightened hair landed against his skin.

"Oh, stop whining." Rouge sighed, running the iron through the last part of hair. "There. Now just wait one second..." She unplugged the straightener and set i on the porcelain counter of the sink, sifting through a neat row of brightly-colored bottles and jars to pick out a few.

"I thought you said just hairspray," Shadow protested.

"Just let me do my thing, Shadow. Stop complaining, I promise that I'll make you pretty."

"I don't _want_ to be _pretty_, woman, because I'm _not_ one." The boy kicked at the bottom of the stool he was perched on irritably.

"A little lip gloss and no one would know the difference, with the way you wear makeup."

"Shut _up_."

Rouge grinned, pumping a bottle once and rubbing blue gel between her hands, running them through his hair. "This is just to keep it straight." She waited for the goop to dry, brushing through to eliminate any clumps, before she went through a second time with clear, slippery serum from a tiny blue bottle.

"What's that for? It smells weird." Shadow wrinkled his nose as the chemical smell.

"Makes your hair shiny," Rouge replied, then huffed. "Not that it takes a lot, you have such amazing hair. Especially for a boy- so many girls would be jealous if you just did something different with it every once in a while."

"I dislike girls as much as I dislike hassle. Why would I purposefully take an hour out of my sleeping time to play with my hair? I just let it do what it wants."

The girl sighed, wiping her hands on a towel and retrieving an ultra-fine tooth comb and an aerosol can. She sprayed a fine mist of chemicals over his head, making him choke, and combed through.

"There, you're done."

"Thank god," he choked, bolting out of the fumigated bathroom and into Rouge's bedroom. He breathed deeply of clean air, walking across to open her window.

"Don't be a baby," Rouge said, flicking on the fan in the bathroom. "It's not that bad."

"If you develop lung cancer, I will not feel bad for you," he snapped.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you pansy. If you're going to be like that, _I'll_ change in the bathroom and you can change here." She reached for her dress, which lay on her bed and retreated into the bathroom, closing the door. Her voice travelled thought, though muffled. "You better be doe by the time I am, because no matter what, I'm coming out."

Shadow sighed, changing out of his clothes into black tight jeans and black ribbed tank. As he finished pulling the tank over his head, Rouge exited from the bathroom, clothed in a halter-topped black dress, edged with pink around the bust, the loose skirt falling to just above her knees.

"You look nice," he said simply.

"Thank you," she replied with a smile. "I try. Anyway, I have the jacket in my closet. It should be the right size."

He nodded, opening the siding closet door to pull out a black suit jacket. He slipped it on over the tank, buttoning it, and glancing into the full length mirror, hardly recognizing himself.

Black and red hair was stick straight and glossy-smooth, falling into his eyes and brushing his shoulders, small black ears set high on the sides of his head. A thin body was clad completely in black, aside from red and orange sneakers half-hidden by black jeans. A slender torso was covered by a suit jacket, tank barely visible underneath, gold gleaming out from under the cuffs of he sleeves, thick bracelets encircling tan wrists.

And the most striking feature of the unfamiliar boy in the mirror were his crimson eyes, rimmed by black kohl and red shadow.

Shadow blinked. "What...?"

"See?" Rouge said with a triumphant grin. "You look _hot_. You should let me dress you most often." She stepped up to his side, and in the mirror, a beautiful white-haired girl pulled a blood-red piece of silk around his neck, tying it loosely and letting it fall over the front of the jacket. "_Perfect. _You're gonna knock 'em dead."

Shadow looked at the girl that his heart called sister, and smiled- very hesitantly, small and nervous, but possibly one of the best the Rouge had ever seen.

She smiled back, stretching up on her tip-toes to kiss him on the cheek before returning to the bathroom to finish her makeup.

"Thank you," he said softly.

"It's no big deal, Shadow. You could look like this every day, if you wanted to. Though, maybe it's not the best idea if you don't like girls. Our table would never just be us two again."

Shadow snickered, sitting on her bed to wait for her to be done. "That would be a terrible tragedy."

"It would," she agreed. Shadow watched her reflection in the mirror as she swiped her eyelids with a smoky gray, cheeks with pink and lips with tinted gloss. Mascara went on last for the eyes, glitter last for the temples and cheeks, brushing through her hair and clipping it back, leaving her bangs down and swept to one side. A chunky crystal necklae went on last, as well as a ring to match- Rouge was a sucker for anything that glittered, Shadow learned early on and especially well during their street days.

She exited the bathroom, moving to in front of her closer as she toed into black stilettos with pink straps that criss-crossed over her ankles.

"Done?" he asked.

"I think so," she murmured, glancing around, then with a soft noise, grabbed a small pink bag. "There it is. I have the camera and my phone. Yours should fit into the inside pocket of that jacket. Make sure you take it, in case they call."

"Sure," Shadow answered, pulling his phone out of the pocket of his discarded leather jacket, slipping into a hidden pocket inside the breast of the suit coat.

Rouge smiled. "Shall we go?" She held out her hand, which Shadow took, standing and sighing.

"Let's get this over with."

* * *

Rouge pulled Shadow through the crowd, the boy's eyes narrowed to see through the artificial smoke and strobe lights that bounced over the students and walls of the activity room. Tables and chairs were set up along the sides of the room, tanks of water and plastic cups set out every so often, shoe racks at the door (mostly for belongings, but also for actual shoes, all of which belonged to the girls because the boys were smarter than to wear shoes they couldn't stay in for more than an hour at best). Pounding music echoed through the hall, making Shadow's ears lower due to the intensity of the bass.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"What?" Rouge yelled. "I can't hear you!"

"_Where are we going?_" the boy repeated.

"I don't know!" she replied with a grin. "I'm looking for Knuckles!"

"Then why am I coming with you?"

"What?"

Shadow sighed and shook his head, allowing her to pull him around until she found her redhead, immediately releasing him and throwing her arms around said other male. Shadow eyes the muscled boy with the all protectiveness a brother should, but allowed Rouge to stay in his embrace when he saw how happy both looked at her being there.

Shadow crossed his arms over his chest, catching pieces of their conversation.

"Good job... didn't even recognize..."

"Where is... brought...?"

"Went somewhere... miserable... lately... mistake..."

"No... good idea... takes time."

Shadow sighed, glancing around the crowd, gesturing to Rouge that he was going to go, the girl reluctantly nodding as he wandered off on his own.

It took Shadow a ridiculous amount of time to push his way through the crowd of grinding bodies, wrinkling his nose as he reached the edge and deciding that he wasn't going back through the center unless his life depended on it. Pouring himself a cup of water, he moved away from the line of people that was already accumulating there and settled in on an inactive radiator in the back corner where the strobes barely touched.

He leaned his head back against the wall, feeling the thrum of the music in the plaster and vibrating down the back of his neck. Shadow sighed, wishing that it wasn't _quite_ so warm in the room and that there was less noise and less people.

As in none. Of both.

Despite the proximity of the crowd, he felt a pair of eyes fixed on him- opened his own ad looked straight at the offender.

_I wonder if this constitutes as my life depending on it,_ Shadow mused, sliding from the radiator and glancing toward the door. _Forget Rouge. She never told me hat _he_ would be here._

He knew it was too late, though, when the other appeared in front of him, mouth et in a tight line. Shadow averted his eyes, hoping that the pounding of his heart couldn't be heard over the music (though almost certain that it _could_).

Blue bangs framed a pale, slightly-rounded face, two emerald-green eyes fixed intently on his prey. Carefully-maintained azure spikes curved back and away. The top button was undone on a navy button-up, a lighter-toned tie hanging crooked and loose. His uninjured arm was cocked on his hip, cuff unbuttoned, casted arm hanging loose at his side, the sleeve pushed up behind it. Slightly baggy white slacks hung straight over slender legs, mostly obscuring red-and-white sneakers.

Shadow hardly recognized him.

"You've been avoiding me," Sonic stated, obviously displeased.

"I-"

"Shut up. Don't start with me," the boy snapped. "I've been over it a thousand-and-one times in my head, and I still can't figure it out. Why?"

_He's thought about it?_ Shadow swallowed. "This is neither the time nor place-"

"Make time." Sonic stepped forward, blocking Shadow's prime escape route.

"I, uh," Shadow stalled, searching for another way out.

Sonic noticed.

Stepping forward again, he pushed the older boy lightly with his good hand. Shadow felt the back of his legs hit the radiator, and he sat reflexively, eyes wide as Sonic stared down at him, frowning. His hands clenched.

"If you've got a problem, you might as well say it now," Sonic insisted. "Go ahead."

Shadow's eyes widened as he looked to the side, seeing a slightly-panicked Rouge ready to step forward, Knuckles' hand on her arm as he shook his head. _No? Why the hell not?_

"Well?" Sonic snapped, and Shadow turned his eyes back to his. Green were clouded with anger and hurt, dejected and waiting to hear what he'd done wrong.

Shadow winced, eyes dropping to the ground again. "It's not..."

"Not what?"

Another wince. "...you. It's not you."

A short, surprised bark of laughter escaped the younger boy, and his voice was slightly hysterical when he asked, "'It's not you, it's me'? You're _really_ going to pull that bullshit on me? What the hell is your problem. I thought we were friends, or at least that's what you said before, but then you just go and ignore me-"

Shadow sighed loudly, pushing himself up, nudging Sonic backwards slightly and trying to to shudder at what the tiny brush of their bodies had done to the feelings churning in his stomach. Sonic looked a mixture of confused, hurt and angry.

Shadow grabbed his wrist. "Come. We'll talk."

The older boy pulled the younger from the hall, leaving two confused and nervous best friends watching from behind as they went.


	13. Broken Hearts & Dying Breaths

**Warning to all, this is a sad chapter, mostly at the very end. It also has slight gore and character death. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it sounds... just really sad. I almost teared up a little writing this. I didn't, though, but mostly because I'm just terrible like that. I'm so mean to these guys.**

**Standard disclaimer applies. Also, any information I pulled out of the internet about guns and that stuff belongs to their original sources. I hope no one ever checks my computer history, or they will think I'm a gangbanger... *grins sheepishly***

**Last section, if you've ever heard it, the song 'Breathe (Don't You Die On Me Mix)' by Superchick is perfect mood music. If you want to cry, that is. **

**

* * *

**

**Shadow: I am never speaking to you again after this.**

**Me: I probably deserve that.**

**Shadow: No one ever read her fictions again. Dei is a terrible, terrible person.**

**Me: I probably deserve that, too.**

**Shadow: Cut her off from her yaoi supply. **

**Me: Now that is completely unfair!**

* * *

"Where are we going?" Sonic asked, stumbling along behind as Shadow dragged him away from the building.

"I haven't yet decided." Shadow's heart thudded hard in his chest, each beat saying _you're stupid. You're stupid. Give up. Stop trying. Tell him to leave you be to spare yourself the pain._

"Then why are you dragging me?" The blue-haired boy demanded. "I need this arm. It's the only functional one I have at the moment."

Shadow grit his teeth, letting go of the pale wrist but kept walking.

Sonic paused for a moment to rub his shoulder and observe nervously the fingerprints that were steadily turning darker. He lifted his head to see the other halfway across the courtyard, rapidly disappearing into the dark. "Hey, wait!" He took off at a jog after him. "What's your problem? Can't you do anything other than avoid me?"

Shadow stopped short, Sonic almost running into his back.

_Is it worth running away?_ Shadow asked himself, then scowled. _Have I truly become that much of a coward?_

"Well?" Sonic frowned, arms crossed over his chest as he took a step back. "Are you going to say anything, Shadow? I mean..." The boy sighed helplessly, foot tapping. "I don't want things to fall apart like this. If there's something I can do to fix it, _whatever_ I did-"

"As I said, it has nothing to do with you," the dark-haired boy replied quietly. "The issue is myself and my own shortcomings. If the issue was you, and you can believe me, you would be well aware."

"Then what is it?" Sonic exclaimed. "I've been going _nuts_ over this! And yet here _you_ are, cool as fuck, acting like I'm a leper and I have no idea why! And don't lie, I _hate_ liars."

"Sonic-"

"Well you please just put me out of my misery?" the younger snarled, pushing Shadow with his good hand. "I mean, I just can't catch a break anymore! Not from Knuckles, not from the kids, not from the teachers..." His volume dropped. "Or from you."

Shadow could have sworn his heart stopped. "What do you mean?"

Sonic froze, apparently having realized what he said, face flooding with color. "Nothing."

"No, tell me," Shadow insisted, stepping towards the younger, who took a step back. Oh, did he enjoy this- Shadow hated being put on the spot, but quite entertained when he did it to others. "What did you mean, Sonic?"

"I didn't mean anything," the blue-haired boy said defensively, taking another step back as Shadow stalked forward. He swallowed noticeably, green eyes widening as red narrowed with amusement and a slow smirk spread across Shadow's face. "You've just been being a huge jerk!"

"No, I don't believe that's what you meant at all," Shadow murmured. "You _hate_ liars, do you not? Then maybe you should try telling the truth."

Sonic's eyes narrowed, but he was far from amused, taking a step forward to stand his ground, putting the two nearly head-to-head. "Maybe you should try to stop changing the subject and _tell me_ what the hell your problem has been this past week. I want to _fix _this. I don't want to run away from it."

Shadow's heart clenched again. "You don't know what you're talking about. You haven't the slightest idea."

"Maybe I would if you _told_ _me_!"

Shadow turned on his heel, stalking a few steps away, the proximity finally affecting his mental processing. His hands covered his face as he inhaled and exhaled slowly a few times, trying to right his mind and push it back into working order.

Sonic sighed heavily behind him. "Why do you have to do this...?"

Shadow could have sword he heard a murmured 'to me?' at the end. He turned, hoping his eyes weren't giving away as much as he felt like they were.

Sonic's eyes widened.

_Shit._

_

* * *

_

Sonic could have sworn that his heart just about stopped when Shadow _stalked_ toward him like that- because that was truly the only word that could describe what he had done- eyes narrowed, smirking.

_Jesus fuck,_ Sonic thought, swallowing. _He moves like a goddamn panther._

He didn't even really know what he said after that, only that he was desperate to get away, to get space to figure out just _what_ this kid was trying to pull.

_Talk about mixed signals._

"You don't know what you're talking about. You haven't the slightest idea."

_Oh, _how Sonic wished he could just strangle the boy. "Maybe I would if you _told me_!"

But he wasn't sure exactly what was going on when the elder turned and took a few steps- at first, Sonic thought he was going to leave, _again_- covering his face with his hands. He looked so overwhelmed that Sonic wasn't sure what to do.

"Why do you have to do this... to me?" He whispered. "It's not fair."

Shadow turned, and Sonic was taken aback at the swirl of emotions in his eyes. Frustration, anger, fear, apprehension, sadness... longing... adoration... _love._

Sonic was pretty sure that his stomach turned inside-out.

"I can see it was a mistake to try to talk to you," Shadow whispered, voice low. "I must go." The boy started off at a fast walk, heading the opposite direction of the dorms.

Sonic, stunned, hesitated. _WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo? _"Shadow," he said softly, but when he turned to follow the other, he was gone.

* * *

Rouge paced outside the door of the dance hall, staring at her phone and waiting for a text from Shadow.

"They'll be fine," Knuckles said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"No, no. I know that there's something wrong. I can feel it. We really fucked up, Knuckles."

"You don't know that."

Rouge turned to stare at him helplessly. "Yes, I do. I know Shadow better than anyone else. If I know him the way I know I do, he's already figured out what happened and how we were involved. He should have texted or called by now."

Knuckles hesitated, glancing at his own phone, which was also blank. "...Sonic was mad."

"I'd never seen Shadow act like that before," Rouge replied. "He never backs down. Sonic _flattened_ him." She paused, distraught, as she sighed, "Oh, Shadow. I hope you're okay."

"I mean," Knuckles started. "Sonic likes him. I know that he does, because I know Sonic, and the only time he's _ever_ looked at anyone the way he looks at Shadow is how he looked at Tikal."

"Tikal?" Rouge asked, distracted, turning to him. "Is that the friend he was talking about?"

Knuckles' lips pressed into a tight line. "Yeah. Tikal was my sister."

"_Oh,_" Rouge sighed, eyes wide. "Knuckles, I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay," he said slowly, closing his eyes. "I've gotten used to her not being around. I think she's probably in a better place... She hated fighting. I never should have gotten her involved in any of that shit. I agreed to let her come along because I thought she would keep things level-headed between the two groups. He always kept my temper under control... The next thing I knew, she was bleeding, and all hell broke loose. Sonic, Blaze and I each got one of them. It was a miracle we didn't go to jail. They let us off because we were underage and because we swore that it was an accident." He laughed bitterly. "Oh, it was far from an accident, but Sonic and I were always good actors. Even now, he still puts on a happy face for those kids. I haven't seen a real smile from him in god-knows how long."

Rouge stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his waist, resting her head against his chest. "I'm sorry."

He sighed, arms circling around her as well. "Like I said, it's okay. I mean... Sonic just loved her a lot. She was family to both of us, but he... I think, if she hadn't... they probably would be together now. He never got a chance to see what it could come to. Most of it was just shit timing, but I knew that she cared about him, too."

"Shadow loved Maria," Rouge replied, feeling like she needed to offer something of her own. "I don't even know how he met her to this day. She was a human. Beautiful. She was also very sick." She closed her eyes.

"She went to the school not too far from ours. He spent every day with her, every moment that he could. When we got pulled into the stuff we did, he tried to keep it a secret from her. She found out, and showed up one day where she didn't belong. Before we knew it, she was dead, and so was the other group. She was still alive, but she had a whole array of disorders... she was a hemophiliac. Shadow was the only one that got to her before she died, and it couldn't have been for more than thirty seconds. He just kind of lost it afterwards... He never got to tell her. I don't know if he was too scared to or what it was, but..."

Knuckles nodded in understanding, rubbing circles on her back with his hands.

"The thing is," Rouge added. "The real reason why I'm worried... I mean, Sonic _likes_ Shadow, but I... I think that Shadow might _love_ Sonic. He would never admit it out loud so anyone could understand him, especially not after what happened before, but... he speaks in Japanese sometimes, just to say things out loud in a way so that no one can understand it. Just to get it out there."

"He speaks Japanese?" Knuckles asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Shadow was born in Japan, but at least one of his parents was an American citizen. He got over here, but he had the right paperwork... I met him when he was six. He barely spoke any English at all. I had to teach him." Rouge sighed.

"How did he get here? I mean, you obviously don't get a ticket to the States at that age on your own.."

"His brother," Rouge answered. "I've never officially met him. At most, I would see glimpses of him when he dropped in to see Shadow, but that was little to none. Shadow went years at a time without seeing his brother. Sometimes I forgot the guy existed." She laughed quietly under her breath. "That guy had some serious issues, though. I'm pretty sure he was in and out of jail quite a bit, had some run-ins with drugs, was certainly in a gang himself- poor Shadow never had a chance. That shit was in his blood."

Knuckles hummed under his breath, still processing what he'd heard. "Sonic never told me that Shadow had a brother."

"Shadow doesn't talk about him," Rouge replied. "Most of the time he pretends like he's an only child. You probably shouldn't tell Sonic any of what I told you... Shadow would kill me if he knew that _I_ told. Sometimes I just say things that I shouldn't."

"It's okay. I can keep a secret."

Rouge's phone buzzed in her hand, and the girl pulled away to read the message. She stared at the screen with wide eyes.

"What?" Knuckles asked urgently.

She handed him the cellular. On the screen, a few lines were typed in.

_As I said, the situation is impossible. You should not have interfered. _

Knuckles frowned as Rouge typed a message back. A few moments later, her phone buzzed again. He looked over her shoulder.

_No, I do not wish to discuss it with you. I will stay elsewhere tonight, and I am turning my phone off. I hope you had an exceptionally better time than I did._

"Yeah," Knuckles sighed, echoing her earlier sentiment. "We _really_ fucked up."

* * *

Shadow knew that Sonic wouldn't try to look for him. Though the other was faster, he was injured, and Shadow had the advantages of both a head start and the darkness.

No, Sonic wouldn't be following him, and neither would Rouge.

He walked down the center of the deserted street, flickering streetlights on either side. It was probably close to midnight now, he supposed. Broken-down apartment buildings lines both sides of the street, and Shadow turned, walking down a pitch-black alleyway in between two. After a few twists and turns, a huge old house came into view, piles of scrap metal on the ground and front porch. Shadow stepped around them, making his way up the stairs and knocking on the front door.

The surprised look on Ivo's face when he showed up at said door may have been comical if the situation had been different. Really, the entire man was generally comical-looking. Though he couldn't have been more than thirty, the man was already bald and sported John Lennon-esque sunglasses at all times that sat on an abnormally large nose. With long, skinny legs but an egg-shaped body, his silhouette was awkward and almost cartoonish. With a bushy red-tinted mustache and a red racing jacket, the man looked much like a collage of mismatched objects all thrown onto one person.

"Is that you, Shadow?" he asked. "What are you doing here? You know better than to leave the dorms. You will get yourself in trouble."

"Careful, your 'Julian' is showing," the kemonomimi growled, pushing inside.

Ivo scowled.

"I will be staying here for the weekend," Shadow said, removing his cell phone from the jacket pocket before hanging the suit coat on a nail half-hanging out of the wall in the hallway. "I will need a few days to rearrange my classes, and to do so, I need quiet."

"That can't be the _real_ problem," Ivo replied. "I made quite sure to get Rouge and yourself single rooms."

"There is no problem. I simply need a few days to... recover. I hope you kept at least _one_ room empty." Shadow glanced around- apparently the heaps of scrap metal outside were just as present _inside_.

The man rolled his eyes. "Of course. There is a room upstairs- take a left and it's the fourth door down on the right. Inside should be everything you didn't take with you. There should be a phone inside as well, should you _really_ need to contact the school board."

"I do. Thank you."

Ivo, knowing he was dismissed, merely sighed, taking a few steps before shouting up the stairs after him, "The kitchen is down here if you get hungry. Whenever you want to go back, I can drive you."

"Not until Sunday night, I hope," Shadow replied. "I will keep that in mind."

At the top of the stairs he turned left, and, seeking out the correct door, found his possessions arranged neatly in a large bedroom.

Instead of the dorm's commonplace blue carpet over concrete, the floors here were a dark-colored wood, old and weathered. The color was a rich red, rather than a flat, eggshell white. Shadow sighed, relieved so see that his ornate cast-iron headboard was not among the leas of scrap metal littered around the house, his old black and red checkerboard comforter spread out over the mattress.

Shadow sighed, turning off the light he had only just turned on, feeling around in the dark to place his inactive phone on the bedside table. Rubbing his hands in a sad attempt to remove his eye-makeup in the dark, he then wiped his palms on his pants. Knowing that there was no possible way for him to sleep in them, he merely kicked them off before crawling onto his bed, face buried in the pillow, using his foot to push open the sliding window.

_Why did it have to be him_? Shadow thought, swallowing in an attempt to keep down the heart that was trying to beat its way painfully out of his throat.

With only the hopes of recovering enough to show his face at school on Monday, Shadow fell asleep.

* * *

"_Will you be coming over tomorrow?" A blonde-haired, blue-eyes girl asked a younger, slightly-shorted Shadow._

"_I can't. I apologize," the other said regretfully._

"_Oh," said the girl, nodding, though obviously let down. "Why not?"_

"_Julian and Nega need my help with a job. I'm afraid that I'll be occupied all day."_

_Maria frowned, giving Shadow a disapproving look. "But Shadow, I thought you said that they were going to get into trouble. You should stay out of it."_

"_Maria," Shadow replied sharply. "They asked for my help, and it would be rude of me to back out after I have already accepted. I will be perfectly fine. I can take care of myself."_

_Blue eyes lowered sorrowfully. "You've changed so much. You used to be so nice to me. Now you're always angry."_

_Shadow sighed, shoving his hand in his pockets. "Maria... after tomorrow, there will be no more problems. Things can go back to how they were before. I never wanted things to be like this, and I want them to get back to how they were. Would you be... happy... if things could be as they were before?"_

_Maria looked up in surprise, her face covered by a hesitant smile. When she saw that she wasn't joking, she threw her arms around him in an embrace. "Thank you, Shadow! I want that more than anything!"_

_Scarlet eyes closed as he hugged the girl back. "Okay."_

o0o

_Rouge rolled her eyes, foot tapping. "They're late," she sighed, twirling her white-and-pink Taurus pt22 around her trigger finger. "They're never late. We're being set up."_

"_We're _not_ being set up," Nega snarled at the girl. "My designs are state-of-the-art, and to get them at this point in the game at the price I'm offering gives the Black Arms a huge advantage. They need these designs."_

"_Yeah," she replied with a scowl. "But why should they pay for them when they could just kill us and take them for free?"_

_Shadow shot the girl an irritated look, but knew her idea was, at least, correct. He had never been terribly fond of the Black Arms. Though they were a small operation, at least currently, the hardcore running the operation, Black Doom, was a serious threat. Even worse, he had his eye on Shadow to become one of them, and the kemonomimi wanted no part in anything more serious than packing his Taurus pt99 and selling off Nega's designs._

"_In case you had forgotten, Rouge, that is the very reason why we carry firearms."_

_The girl sighed in exasperation, giving up on the conversation entirely before her large ears perked up. "I hear someone."_

_The empty street they waited on was no longer empty, as the four learned when they turned to see the other group._

"_Do you have them?" Black Doom asked. _

"_Of course," Nega replied. "And the money?"_

"_Of course," the other repeated with a smirk. He extracted a large wad of bills from his pocket, handing them to a teen about Shadow's age that stood to his right. "I'll send the dough over with Doom's Eye. You can send the plans over with little Shadow, there, and they can exchange halfway. How does that sound?"_

_Nega nodded in agreement, even though Shadow felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up in anxiety. He took the rolled-up blueprints that were handed to him, both hands out of his pockets in a sad attempt to pretend that he was unarmed, and walked to the middle of the street, where the dark-skinned, dark-haired boy, Doom's Eye, waited patiently with a smirk._

_He offered the plans silently, receiving the bills before he went to turn. _

_A click- he turned back to see a gun pointed between his eyes._

_His heart thudded violently. "Yes?"_

"_Wait here for a moment, won't you?" Doom's Eye replied with a smirk. "I need to make sure that these plans are the real deal. Can't have BD losing his money for a stack of post-its, can we?" Shadow's fist clenched, fighting the urge to reach for his gun, but knowing he would be good and dead before he could even get halfway there. _

_Doom's Eye unrolled the papers, glancing at the drawings there for a long moment._

_He was rolling them back up when Rouge hissed, "Someone's coming! I told you that this wasn't right!"_

"_Who is it?" Ivo asked._

"_She doesn't have x-ray vision!" Nega snarled. _

_Doom's Eye hissed under his breath, turning to his group. "911. We need to get out of here."_

"_You set us up?" Black Doom exclaimed. "And tot think that I had faith in you."_

"_Wait!" Rouge exclaimed. "It's not the cops. Whoever it is, they aren't heay enough. Light footsteps, very light. A kid, maybe. A teen at most."_

_Shadow felt his heart sink and eyes widen. _Oh god, _he thought. _Please don't let it be-

"_Maria." He said softly as the petite blonde girl crested the hill of the deserted street. _

_Blue eyes widened. "Shadow!"_

_Doom's Eye cocked the gun as Black Doom growled,"Had us followed, Shadow? I'm so disappointed."_

"_No!" Shadow exclaimed. "I don't know why she's here. I didn't do this."_

_Black Doom stepped forward, and Doom's Eye retracted his pistol with a sour glare to the hedgehog-hybrid. _

"_And if I were to believe you, what would be in it for me? I could always kill the girl, but I'm getting the idea that you wouldn't like that very much."_

_Shadow's heart must have been beating two-hundred times a minute, his brain processing and thinking at twice that speed. "No, please. Leave Maria alone. I'll do anything."_

"_I'm listening," the man replied with a smirk._

"_I'll serve you for a year. I'll join the Black Arms. Anything you want, just please, let her go. Please."_

"_You must really love her," the man said with a cruel laugh. _

_Maria's eyes widened, and Shadow's flicked to her in terror and mortification._

"_-To volunteer yourself like this after so long of denying my offers. Very well, Shadow-"_

_A bang. Maria lay bleeding on the pavement, blood pooling rapidly on the road._

God, no. No, no, no.

_Shadow didn't do any thinking or looking beyond seeing Doom's Eye's gun still in hand. Within ten seconds, Black Doom, Doom's Eye and the two nameless others were dead, a 9mm hole in each of their foreheads. He ran to Maria, falling to his knees in a way that would probably leave them bruised and bloody, even with the protection of his jeans._

"_Maria!" he exclaimed. "Where did he shoot you?"_

"_I don't know," she replied with a small, weak, pained smile. "But it won't matter much in a few moments. You know as well as I do about my hemophilia."_

"_No," he whispered. "No, please." He grabbed her hand, holding it tight._

"_Shadow," she said. "Please listen to me."_

"_Of course."_

_Maria coughed, blood staining her lips. Shadow winced, putting one arm under her body to prop her up at an angle. "Maybe you shouldn't speak-"_

"_No, please. You have so much to give, Shadow. Promise me that you'll stop this. Use your talents to help people. Give them a chance to be happy."_

_Tears burned at his eyes. "Yes. Yes, I promise. Maria, you're going to be fine-"_

"_No," Maria whispered. "Chances are that I won't even make it until emergency services get here. I'm __sorry that I followed you, Shadow. I never meant to do this, I never imagined... You have been a very dear friend to me."_

"_Maria..."_

"_I wish that we could have had more time together. You... I will miss you... very much."_

_Shadow couldn't hold back the tears anymore. "Please, please hold on. Please try..."_

"_Shadow... do what you can... to bring hope to humanity." Her eyes closed and she coughed again. Shadow wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth._

"_I will. Anything you want, Maria. Oh, god, please..."_

"_It's too late," she replied with a small laugh. "It was terrible luck... but I won't regret... any moment of my knowing you... Sayonara, Shadow..."_

_He laughed once in surprise, feeling his body go numb. "You were always terrible at Japanese. It figures that you would only remember one word that I taught you."_

_Maria smiled, though he couldn't take any happiness in it as her body began to involuntarily relax and death began to take hold. "You... meant very much... to me. You made me... feel like I was... never sick... never weak... only happy..."_

_Shadow squeezed his eyes shut as Maria went limp. He didn't want to see this, the blood everywhere, blue eyes closed, blonde hair an fair skin stained red. Even still, he knew she was smiling._

"_Maria..." he whined softly, feeling his heart break in two. "Maria!"_

_

* * *

_

Light streamed in when Shadow awoke, and he lifted his head from his pillow.

He wiped the wetness from his cheeks and sniffed, feeling almost as miserable as he had the night before.

He swung his feet off his bed, putting his head in his hands and feeling his body seize as a side-effect of the tears that were still not-quite gone. When he lifted his head, wiping his swollen eyes, the first thing they landed on was a forgotten picture in a hand-decorated frame, propped up next to his phone.

A blonde human girl with her arms thrown around a dark-haired hybridized boy.

Shadow dissolved into tears.


	14. Grand Gestures & Hushed Whispers

**Once upon a time, there was a Dei. And this Dei had a very large amount of trouble with the fourteenth chapter of her fanfic called Black & Blue. The Flying Spaghetti Monster, taking pity on its loyal subject, gave Dei a miraculously wonderful idea, but faced her with a challenge. "Go forth, my noodle, and give the world this chapter of B&B," the great FSM said. "But you will be faced with many challenges along the way, such as Facebook, Gmail and family reunions fortified with alcohol! If, and only if, you can make your way through the maze of distractions and your ADHD to post this chapter will you be worthy of reviews!"**

**And so the Dei did as the great FSM asked, and there was much rejoicing.

* * *

**

**So, here's another chapter bestowed upon you by the marinara-magical glory of the Flying Spaghetti Monster! Bow down and give thanks to his sauciness, for without him, there would not be another chapter of B&B until late this week.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**The end of this chapter contains fluff. Like, teeth-rotting, brain-melting fluff. You have been warned.

* * *

**

Knuckles nudged the blanket-covered lump with his foot. "Sonic, come on. We have to leave in ten minutes."

"I'm not going," came the muffled voice. "Tell the kids that I'm sick."

"I did that yesterday, Sonic. _And_ the day before. This has _got_ to stop, man. You're acting like a broken-hearted girl."

A string of mumbling was all knuckles could hear. "What?"

"I don't care what I'm acting like. This is your fault, anyway. I'm allowed to be like this. You shouldn't have tried to _help_. If that's what you were really trying to do."

"I _was_ trying to help. God fucking _damn it_, Sonic. If you had pulled your head out of your ass, this never would have happened. How could you have not noticed? _I_ noticed, and I'm possibly the most emotionally-stunted male on the planet." Knuckles sighed, nudging the lump again in a borderline kick, holding onto the frame of his own bunk for balance.

"I don't know, Knuckles. If you were so smart, maybe you should have just _told me _what was going on before you tried to set me up. Now everything has just gone straight to hell."

"It'll only stay like this if you _let_ it stay like this, Sonic. If you try to fix it, then you will. Obviously Shadow isn't as strong of a guy as you are. You didn't really let the whole _thing_ mess you up, but Shadow, well... it really got to him." Knuckles pulled his foot away, leaning over to pull at the covers. "Come on, Sonic. Only _you_ can fix this, now."

"Why do _I_ always have to fix _your_ fuck-ups, Knuckles?" Sonic sighed. "Especially when half of them are _my_ business that you decided to worm your way into."

Knuckles successfully pulled away the blankets, leaving a bed-mussed and aggravated hedgehog-hybrid, ears flattened to his skull, clinging to his pillow.

"I _will_ bite you," Sonic growled. "Don't tempt me."

The echidna-hybrid growled under his breath and grabbed the rope handles on the side of the mattress through the sheet, giving it a sharp tug and sending it- and Sonic- sprawling to the floor.

"I'm so sick of your shit!" The redhead hissed. "Get your act together, Sonic. You have four other people that are depending on you, and the rest of us are, too. You're the leader, Sonic, and if you're going to be weak, then maybe it's time for you to step down and let someone more capable take over!"

Knuckles scowled at Sonic as he walked to his dresser, grabbing his keys and leaving the room with a slam of the door.

Sonic stared, openmouthed, until long after he was gone.

* * *

Sonic shifted in his seat uncomfortably, trying not to stare at the still-fuming Knuckles that sat beside him in the back row of English, waiting for Stewart to transition into math. Even though he figured it might happen, he couldn't help the way his heart sank when Shadow's chair was never filled.

"Did Rouge say anything?" Sonic asked quietly, knowing Knuckles would know what he was talking about.

The redhead shot him a half-pissed, half-pitying look. "No."

Sonic thought that that look was possibly one of the worst he had ever received.

Tapping his foot irritably, Sonic tried to ignore the puzzled looks that came from Blaze and the frowns from Silver.

_I need to fix this,_ Sonic thought. _But how?_

_

* * *

_

Shadow did not come to class that day, or the next. After a week of being avoided _again,_ Sonic was ready to give up. It was like the other had vanished completely, but he knew it was't true, because Rouge still hovered here and there, never close enough for Sonic to corner.

His spirits were down as the end of October approached, the kids excited about Halloween, Sonic falling deeper into what seemed to be a bottomless depression. The depressions started to fade, however, when the nurse announced that the cast could _finally_ come off.

Sonic walked over with Knuckles on the night of the thirtieth, one of the few times they had actually spent together since the whole homecoming incident nearly two weeks ago.

"Are you happy to get the cast removed?" the redhead asked.

Sonic nodded. "Fuck yeah. I hate this thing. The sooner that it's off, the sooner I can get back into running."

"What about the scar?" Knuckles replied.

Sonic hesitated, frowning. Honestly, he wasn't sure how he felt about the scar. It wasn't so much the scar as what it represented and what it would remind him of- his own failure to _still_ try to make things right between himself and Shadow. "I don't know. I guess we'll see."

Knuckles sighed, glancing at his friend. He hated to admit that he didn't know what to do about him anymore. Sonic had always been balanced on a very thin edge with his emotions, but it seemed that he was tipping precariously toward his inner darkness these days. There was really nothing he could do about it, though. Sonic had to _want_ to be happy in order for it to happen.

Rouge had been trying to bring Shadow around for the past week, but nothing seemed to be helping. Knuckles had only really seem him once since the Homecoming, and he looked _terrible._ He could only hope that the two would get over whatever had happened that night and either become friends again (or maybe more), or at least become enemies so they had something to occupy their time. Not this running and hiding shit from Shadow and the moping and whining crap from Sonic. They were acting more childish than _any_ of the kids.

This was the most alive Knuckles had seen Sonic in days. It was as encouraging as it was pathetic. He obviously still had the ability to be happy, the desire to be- just not a reason.

Yet.

Sonic pushed through the doors into the infirmary, not complaining as the woman pushed him around and finally sat him in a chair, cast saw in hand.

"You're not gonna cut me, are you?" Sonic asked with a wary glance at the machine in her hand.

"Oh, hush. It doesn't rotate, it only vibrates. It's impossible to cut you with this, dear. Now, hold still. It may tickle or feel warm, that's normal."

"Alright," the blue-haired boy replied with a swallow. "Just get it off."

A few moments passed and the plaster made a bit of dust, but Sonic's arm was freed, and though considerably paler, it looked better.

Except for the angry red line of skin that ran from shoulder to the tip of his pinky finger.

Sonic hissed, wincing as he looked at it, though not in any pain. He poked at it with his index finger lightly, twitching at the tenderness of the new skin and the odd texture. It varied in width in places, thicker near the shoulder and somewhat crooked. Part of it extended from the heel of his hand over the side, his pinky mostly obscured by the mark, the top and side of his ring finger marked as well.

"That's disgusting," Knuckles said in awed surprise, inner boy kicking in. "So cool, though! Can I touch it?"

Sonic held out his arm, letting Knuckles tentatively touch it with the pad of his finger and grinning when he shuddered at the texture. "It's so nasty! I hope it doesn't stay this red, though. Red's not my color."

The nurse rolled her eyes. "It should fade over the course of a few months. Some will change to pink, some to purple, some even to white, it just depends on the person."

Sonic blinked, leaning down to pull up the right leg of his athletic shorts, exposing four large, white scars on his outer thigh. "Well, these didn't turn out too badly. Maybe it'll look like these- that wouldn't be too terrible."

The woman shrugged, discarding the pieces of the cast. "You're going to have some weakness in your elbow, since you weren't able to move it. Hold off on strenuous activity for the next month, month-and-a-half. Running should be okay, as long as you aren't too hard on it. Can you bend it for me?"

Sonic winced as he moved his arm, the scar stretching and muscle tensing almost to the point of pain.

The woman 'tsk'ed under her breath. "Well, let's see how it is in another week. It might be better once it's used to moving again. Do you still have enough painkillers?"

Sonic nodded.

"Alright, then. Get out of here!" The woman smiled. "I've got work to do. Now _don't_ go getting hurt again anytime soon, got it?"

"Got it," Sonic replied with a grin and almost-painful thumbs-up. "Let's go, Knuckles."

The boys exited the infirmary, the redhead still marveling at the beast of a scar and Sonic bending and twisting his arm experimentally.

"It feels so awkward," Sonic sighed. "I guess I'll get used to it, though."

"Yeah," Knuckles replied. "Can I take a picture of it with my phone?"

"Sure, why not?" Sonic shrugged. "Might as well."

"Nice." Knuckles snapped a picture of Sonic's extended arm, grinning and tapping on the touch-screen of his phone, listening to it beep when it beeped in recognition of a sent message.

"Who did you send that to?" Sonic asked.

"Rouge. She said she wanted to see it."

"Oh," Sonic said simply, looking away and not commenting further. He knew damn well that she wanted to see only so Shadow would know exactly what he'd done.

Knuckles' and Sonic's phones buzzed a moment later, Sonic reading the received message and rolling his eyes.

"From Rouge?" Knuckles asked.

Sonic nodded, showing the screen to his friend that read _OMG! ARE YOU OKAY? DOES IT HURT?_

Knuckles snorted. "I got pretty much the same thing except it was like 'is he okay' and 'ask him if it hurts'."

He smiled a little and texted back, _I'm fine. It doesn't hurt. It's just kind of weird feeling. _"Good to know that she's not _completely_ ignoring me."

Knuckles blinked. "She's not-"

Sonic gave him a look, and Knuckles shut his mouth. Sonic's phone buzzed. _Where are you? _

_Walking back to the dorms with Knuckles._ "Yes, she is. She hasn't talked to me since that whole _thing_." Sonic waved his hand vaguely.

"It's just-"

"I don't care, Knuckles. It's fine. She had her loyalty to him _long_ before she had any sort of friendship with me."

"What, you won't even say _his_ name anymore?" Knuckles sighed, shooting a frustrated glance at Sonic. "Shadow still exists, Sonic. He's still here, still a person like us. Just because he's avoiding you doesn't mean that he's not still around."

"Obviously, Knuckles," Sonic sighed. "He exists. I've noticed, in case _you_ hadn't. I should have said something before, and now, it's probably too late."

The redhead stared, stopping the other. "What is it that you want to say, Sonic?"

The pale teen glanced at his friend before he looked away, cheeks slightly pink. "It's none of your business, _that's_ what it is. If it;s supposed to work, it will work. If not, then... then it won't." The blue-haired boy swallowed, frowning and sighing. "I don't know. I just feel like-"

"Knuckles! Sonic!"

Knuckles cursed internally, turning to see his girlfriend that san to their side, white hair slightly disheveled from her run. "Hey."

Sonic nodded slightly in acknowledgment to the girl, silently holding out his arm, as he knew that it was what she wanted to see.

Rouge's face contorted to an expression that was a combination of horrified and slightly sick. "Oh, Sonic..."

"It's not a big deal," he replied, attempting and failing to cover it with his other hand. "It doesn't hurt. I'll get used to it. I've had worse."

"I doubt it!" Rouge exclaimed, reaching for the boy, who backed away. "Sonic-?"

"Stop," he said quietly. "Don't make him feel any worse than he already does. He'll have to see it eventually, and he'll feel bad enough then. Right now, it's my problem, and to be quite honest, it's not a problem at all."

"I wasn't-"

Sonic frowned before he looked between the two of them with a small, sad smile. "You guys are really good for each other. You mean well, but... sometimes, people just need to handle their own problems. I mean thanks, but... no, thanks. I'll figure this out."

"Sonic-" Knuckles said in surprise.

"I'll see you later," the boy said abruptly, turning and walking away.

Knuckles glanced at Rouge, confusion and surprise in his eyes.

"What the hell?"

* * *

Sonic frowned, sitting cross-legged in the middle of their bedroom floor, rubbing his temples. How hard could one solution be to come up with? Really!

The hybrid sighed, falling onto his back hard, coughing slightly at the force against his lungs. Staring blankly at the ceiling, he groaned and placed the crook of his good arm over his eyes.

"Why does this have to be so difficult?" he mumbled aloud. "Girls _never_ have this much difficulty figuring out what they are supposed to do. But, then again, they have female friends. Maybe I should get a fag hag..."

He sighed heavily, removing his arm and squinting at the light. "Okay, well maybe I just need to _think_ like girl. So... what would a girl do in this situation?"

Sonic thought hard back to every chick flick and femme-novel he'd ever had the misfortune of seeing and reading. Whenever the girl had a problem, she was always encouraged to follow her heart.

_Fat lot of good that does me,_ Sonic growled in his mind. _I already know what I want. I just need to figure out _how_._

_A grand gesture,_ his subconscious supplied. _You have to forget everything that scares you and go for it in a way that can't be ignored._

Sonic sat up suddenly, eyes wide.

A grand gesture.

He knew what he had to do.

* * *

The next morning came and Sonic was out of the room before Knuckles even woke up. Backpack slung over his shoulders and scarred arm exposed by the short sleeves of a t-shirt, Sonic walked to the Elementary dorms, where he knew the others would be awake.

Climbing the few short flights of stairs to Amy's room where the others gathered, he knocked lightly.

The pink-haired girl answered, eyes widening. "Oh my god, are we late?"

"No, no," Sonic assured her. "You're not, I'm just really early. Can I come in?"

"S-sure," Amy replied, stepping out of the way to let him into her surprisingly un-girlish bedroom.

Chip sat in the corner, occupied by a cereal bar. Tails sat cross-legged on the green-covered bed, an iPod and tiny screwdriver in hand, and Cream sat on the floor in front of the bed, hair half-braided. Tails looked up from his tinkering to blink in surprise. "Sonic?"

"Hey, guys," Sonic said. "Uh, yeah. I just, um..."

"What is it?" Tails asked. Leaning forward, obviously interested. Amy returned to her spot to braid Cream's hair, and Chip looked up.

"I just want you guys to know... that I'm really sorry for the way that I've been for the past few weeks. I've been a real downer and... I need to do better. I've been hiding from my problems, and I'm going to face them all today. Starting with you guys."

Tails smiled, pushing himself off the bed and crossing the room to hug Sonic around the waist. "It's okay, Sonic. We just want you to be happy!"

"I know, buddy," Sonic replied with a tiny smile. "I'm going to try to be. No more hiding and moping. I'm gonna man up and do what I have to in order to solve my own problems."

Tails lay his forehead against Sonic's belly with a smile. "Okay. We'll all be here if you need us, you know? We love you, Sonic."

Cream nodded enthusiastically, messing up Amy's braiding and Chip agreed loudly through a full mouth. Amy blushed slightly and focused on fixing Cream's hair, but nodded all the same.

"You guys are great," Sonic said with a grin, ruffling Tails' hair. "I just want you to know that I care about you. And no matter what happens today, what you see or what you hair, I promise that I'll never get that bad again. Okay?"

Tails frowned, puzzled. "What are you going to do?"

"What I do best, of course," the older hybrid replied with a smirk. "Catch up and start things up. Hopefully. I just wanted to see you guys this morning, because I have to go. I have to eat early so I can get this done. I'll see you all later, okay?"

Tails blinked, suddenly finding that Sonic was gone and he sighed, sparing a glance at a confused Amy.

"What do you think he's going to do?" she asked.

"I don't know," Tails replied. "But, whatever it is, I hope it makes him happy."

* * *

Sonic didn't eat much that morning, his stomach churning with nervousness and butterflies that were more than enough to fill him. With nothing more than a dry piece of toast and a large glass of water as sustenance, he set off on the hunt.

He knew fairly well where he was going, but the crowds never ceased to slow him down a considerable amount, even this early in the morning. Weaving his way through crowds of students, he scanned the packed corridors for the person he was looking for.

_A grand gesture_, he thought, butterflies doing flips in his stomach at the thought. _I just hope I don't get hit._

A turn, and then another, and Sonic knew he was in the right place when he thought his stomach would explode with the churning and kill him before the other could.

He _did_ look like shit, Sonic realized. Pale and obviously depressed, he would have known Shadow from anyone else in the hallway, even if he wasn't so familiar with him. The boy closed his locker, hitching his bag up on his shoulder and sighed, resting his forehead on the metal before he looked up suddenly, as if he knew he was being watched.

Weary scarlet met alert emerald, and Sonic darted through the crowd before the other could get too far away. "Shadow!"

Heads were turning now, and Sonic stomped on the butterflies in his stomach that were quickly evolving into fireworks. There was no turning back, not anymore.

The dark-haired boy tensed, knowing that he had nowhere to run. The torture in his eyes was obvious, so he averted his gaze, arms crossed in front of him and fists clenched. "Sonic... what do you want?"

"I'm sorry," the other said quickly. "I'm so sorry. I let everything get out of hand, and I never wanted it to get this fucked up. I should have said something I should have noticed, I..."

"You need not say anything," Shadow growled, tone harsh. "You made your opinion _perfectly_ clear."

People were stopping to look, now, and Sonic knew the other was as uncomfortable as he was hurt. "I didn't, though, and that's the problem." He took a step forward, the other hitting his back against the lockers, glaring at the younger.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm _saying_ that I'm sorry," Sonic replied. "I was an idiot, and _you_ were the one to get hurt. I guess I was in denial, but I'm not anymore. I know _exactly_ what's going on in my head, now."

Red eyes widened. "What-?"

More people had stopped. The hall had gone silent. Sonic was pretty sure that his stomach had just exploded, and that his heart was next. "Shadow. I was an idiot, and I don't deny that. I won't deny that I was surprised, either, because obviously I was so dumb that I _was._ I never wanted for you to hurt like that."

Shadow glared at him, but the confusion and pain in his gaze was far from hidden. "Stop. Stop it. Nothing you can do now would change anything. It would be impossible for us to be friends again."

A tiny smile pulled at the corners of Sonic's lips, and his eyes narrowed slightly. His heart sped up to the point of stuttering, fluttering panic. "Who said anything about being friends?"

The elder pushed himself back against the lockers more, but there was nowhere to go. He knew it, he was trapped, and from the way his eyes wandered to the silent crowd, mouth set in a tight line, he was _terrified._ "I-"

"Don't even think about running away again," Sonic said quietly. "There's nowhere to go, Shadow. Forget about the others, they don't matter."

Red eyes flickered to green, and the dark-haired boy swallowed, whispering, "What are you doing?"

A true, nervous smile broke out across Sonic's face, and confusion mixed with a strange sort of fear crossed Shadow's face.

"I'm making a grand gesture," Sonic replied. He held up his injured arm, watching as red eyes widened further.

"Is that-?"

"You made a huge impact on my life," Sonic said quietly. "For better or for worse, I'm really not sure yet. But I know that it changed me. There's no way for me to change back, though, and I don't want to."

"Are you angry?" Shadow asked in little more than a soft exhale.

"No," Sonic replied, and his smile grew. "I might have been before, but not at you. At myself, mostly. A little mad a Knuckles for being a stubborn jerk, but I don't think that I would have gotten here if he hadn't kicked me while I was down a good few times."

"And where, exactly, is _here_?"

Sonic smiled for a moment before it faded, taking a few quick steps forward, injured and uninjured hands both twining into soft, dark hair, neon-green eyes flickering closed as he slanted his lips over the other's, pressing forward gently before pulling back and pressing in again.

Sonic pulled away just barely, his heart thoroughly stopped and restarted, and rested his forehead against Shadow's with a satisfied upward tilt of his lips.

Scarlet eyes flickered open and Shadow stared at Sonic as if he was waiting to have his heart torn out, surprised and yet expecting of the pain, an almost heartbreaking _hope_, though, lingering underneath.

Sonic forced the hushed and surprised whispers of the others out of his ears, closing his eyes again. Lingering close, he played with strands of red-streaked black hair, twisting them around his fingers and stroking the back of the other's neck idly with his thumb.

Warmth. Incredible warmth, unmeasurable happiness bubbled up from somewhere deep inside him, and Sonic was suddenly _content_.

In a voice that was nothing more than the mending of two hearts, the hope between two lonely souls, the union of two perfectly-fitted atoms in the universe, Sonic replied,

"_Here_ is wherever we want it to be."


	15. Fangirls & Learning Experiences

**Lovely readers, the great Flying Spaghetti Monster has given me another chapter with which to steal your time! :) All hail His Noodly Appendage!**

**What can I say about this one... Shadow hates fangirls, Knuckles runs from them and Rouge eats them for breakfast. Sonic? Well, Sonic just humors them, as is often the best plan of action when dealing with beings that vicious.**

**Fluff, fluff, and more fluff... oh, and did I mention the fluff?**

**Standard disclaimer applies! Not mine... *cries in a corner* Darn you, Sonic Team!

* * *

**

**Shadow: *rolls eyes* Dei is honestly not that funny or that talented of a writer. Why are you all reading this again?**

**Me: Because there is yaoi and I made you cute.**

**Shadow: That's absolutely no excuse... I'm not cute.**

**Me: Dont fight with me or I will make you uke.**

**Shadow: ...I hate you.**

**Me: Reviews are made of love! :D

* * *

**

Sonic slid into his normal seat in class, smug as all fuck and bubbling with happiness. Biting down his smile wasn't doing much good, so he attempted- and failed- to hide it by resting his head in his hand.

He was early, and thank god for that, because with the way the hallways were milling with gossip and students were staring through the door at him, he thought that he probably wouldn't be able to _get_ to class if he'd done this any later.

He couldn't help the grin that forced its way out when the first group of girls entered the classroom, whispering conspiratorially. Lucky they were all in his class- when they started coming in and _weren't_, then he would have problems.

Cherry stepped forward, hand on her hips and an eager smile on her face. "So, Sonic, is it true?"

"Is what true?" He asked.

Cherry rolled her eyes. "Is it true that you just kissed Shadow in the B hallway in front of _everyone_?"

Sonic couldn't help but shake with repressed laughter when he reclined in his chair and replied, "I don't know, you tell me. What is everyone else saying?"

Cherry blinked in surprise. "Are you denying it?"

Sonic shrugged, not even trying to hide his wide grin anymore. Oh, how he loved playing with the gossip-mongers. "Do you always believe everything you're told?"

"So it's _not_ true?"

"Oh, well, I didn't say _that_."

Cherry rolled her eyes. "Sonic, you idiot. Isn't it time to grow up? Just give me a straight answer- did you or didn't you?"

Sonic shot a smug glance at the girls behind Cherry who were waiting expectantly for an answer, seemingly not even breathing. "I suppose that one could say that I did, but don't you think that's my business?"

Cherry laughed in surprise, cherry-red wolf ears twitching atop her head. "Jesus, you really did, didn't you?"

"Didn't I just tell you that? Man, Cher, do you need your hearing checked?"

The girls blushed slightly, frowning. "Well, you know, you made it the entire _school's_ business when you kissed him in the middle of the hallway. Are you even gay? I had no idea."

Sonic shrugged, stretching out his bad and seeing her gaze flick to it, her face immediately paling.

"What can I say?" Sonic shot back with a smirk. "Shadow just seems to have left his mark. And nothing's really official yet, so... don't go spreading rumors. You would want the _real_ four-one-one, wouldn't you?"

Cherry's surprised look faded, and the girl nearly squirmed with delight. "You better tell me _everything_!"

"I don't know about _everything,_" Sonic replied, grinning. "And I don't know if I'll even be _ allowed_ to tell. Also, like I said, nothing's official yet. I'd appreciate if this conversation was kept under the table for a few days, you know, so I- _we-_ have time to hash things out a bit, ne?"

The girl wiggled again, bushy tail swishing behind her like an excited puppy. "Fine, fine. But you owe me!" She bounced away to the others, who were smiling and shooting glances at the blue-haired boy, whispering to each other.

As the mass of girls rearranged and headed to their seats, Cherry turned around and with a wolfish grin, she added, "Oh, Sonic?"

"Hm?"

"You two are _so_ cute together."

Sonic's grin expanded until he was sure it wouldn't fit on his face. "Thanks, Cher. Now let's see what Knuckles and the guys have to think when _they_ find out."

Cherry blinked in surprise before she burst out laughing. "Oh, man," she said, wiping a few mirthful tears from her eyes, "I'm so glad that I get to see this."

Sonic found that he really didn't have long to wait. The warning bell rang, students starting to mill in and the whispers starting to fill this room, too. Sonic stayed casual, leaning back in his chair and smiling to himself.

Sometimes, he really _did_ like high school.

* * *

As soon as Knuckles and Rouge entered the school, they knew something was wrong.

The crowd was in the gossip-frenzy, when the normal chatter escalated into a buzz and glances were thrown back and forth. Knuckles hated it when this happened, but he always seemed to find whatever they were talking about amusing, usually on an astronomical scale.

As he pondered on how to corner someone to ask them what was going on, someone asked, "Hey, Knuckles, is it true?"

The redhead blinked and shot a glance to Rouge, who shrugged.

"Is what true?"

"About Sonic and Shadow!"

Amber eyes widened and Knuckles paled, seeing aquamarine just as wide as his. "Oh, shit."

Rouge's phone buzzed, and the girl tensed as she read whatever was on the screen.

"What?" He asked.

At the top, Shadow's name was written as the contact, and three letters made up the text.

_S.O.S_

"I have to go!" Rouge exclaimed. "I'll catch up with you later, okay? Find Sonic!"

The girl disappeared into the crowd, leaving Knuckles as the only target in the hall. Countless eyes stared at him, all asking a question that he had no idea what the answer to was.

He did what he did best in these situations.

Knuckles ducked under the arms on the crowd and ran.

* * *

Face still red, Shadow put on what he _hoped_ was a threatening scowl to the group of girls that had him cornered.

He could only hope that Rouge had gotten his text, since, at the moment, she looked like his only way out of this mess.

_Fucking hell,_ he thought. _In the middle of the hallway! Is he an idiot or does he just not care?_

"Aww, come on!" One girl whined.

"You have to tell us _something_!" Another replied.

"Fuck no, I don't," Shadow growled. "There's nothing to tell. If you would please _back off,_ I need to be getting to class."

"Aww, he's embarassed!"

"_That's so cute!_"

A round of squeals and happy giggles went around the girl-mass in agreement. Shadow wanted to scream.

"Shadow!"

Shadow didn't believe in a god, but he thanked whatever was up there looking out for him when Rouge appeared, pulling him through the group and down the hallway in a dead run.

"What happened?" Rouge demanded. "The first thing that happens when me and Knuckles get to school is people asking us 'is it true?'. Is _what_ true, Shadow?"

Shadow, pulling the girl over to an empty section of the hall, stopped and sighed.

"Well?" She demanded. "What happened?"

Shadow mumbled something that Rouge couldn't catch over the roar of the students.

"What?"

"I said," Shadow repeated quietly. "...that Sonic kissed me."

Rouge went dead silent, and Shadow was starting to get nervous at the completely blank look she gave him. "What did you say? I think that I heard you wrong."

Shadow scowled. "You heard me, Rouge. Sonic. Kissed. Me. In the middle of the hall, in front of _everyone!_ It was humiliating... but..." His face colored red, and Shadow averted his eyes.

Rouge was silent for another full minute, and Sonic was starting to wonder if he should call the nurse or _what_, when what she'd heard finally caught up with her.

Rouge squeed loudly, throwing her arms around Shadow in a crushing hug.

"Ack, Rouge-"

"I'm so happy! I can't believe it! I wish that I'd been there! Oh, man, Knuckles is going to go _nuts_ when he finds out!"

Shadow tried in vain to push the girl away. "Aw, fuck. Not you, too!"

* * *

Knuckles was one of the last ones into the classroom, Sonic and nearly everyone else already there, the blue-haired hybrid talking to Silver and Blaze, a wide grin on his face as Silver shook his head in exasperation and Blaze patted him on the back.

"What did you do?" He blurted. "I almost got _killed_."

Sonic patted the seat next to him and the others laughed and the shell-shocked Knuckles blinked, finally stepping forward and sliding into his seat.

"I mean, you were out of the room before I woke up, _then_ I hear the kids telling me that you had come by and left before I was there, _and then_ I get here and almost get killed by the crowd? Are you kidding me, Sonic? What the hell is up with you?"

Stewart entered then, closing the door behind him and cutting off the hallway buzz. As he made his way up to the front of the room, he shot Sonic a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that you two resolved your issues, Sonic," the blonde teacher said.

The class giggled and Knuckles stared at Sonic, confusion written on his face. Sonic laughed along with the class. "You heard about that already, Mr. Stewart?"

"It's fairly hard _not_ to have heard," the teacher replied. "But, good for you."

"I'm so lost," Knuckles whined. "What happened?"

Sonic opened his mouth, but then Knuckles' phone buzzed and the boy paled at what he read.

_Sonic kissed Shadow!_

"Wait... _what_?"

* * *

Sonic and Knuckles went together when the redhead went to get Rouge. Knuckles, still annoyed, pushed the younger lightly against the wall as they walked. "You're such an idiot. You should have told me!"

"I _told_ you," Sonic said, "That I have to take care of my problems myself. So I did."

"But you should have told me so I wouldn't have gotten attacked when I came in!" Knuckles pouted. "Seriously. I hate fangirls."

Sonic snickered under his breath. "Yeah, girls are annoying... I wonder if he's going to punch me."

"Nah," Knuckles replied. "He likes you a lot. I don't think he'll hit you."

"Oh, he does?" Sonic asked with a smirk. "That's good to know."

Knuckles grinned, but it faded and he asked seriously, "You _are_ legit about him, right? Like, you really do like him?"

"Of course," Sonic replied, looking away, heart skipping an anxious beat in his chest. "You _know_ me."

"Yeah." the other replied. "I do. I'm sorry. I just thought that I should ask. You just seemed kind of flippant about the whole thing."

"I'm actually really kind of freaked out. Like... my heart is going a million miles a minute and I'm nervous. I've never really done anything like this, so... I don't know." Sonic turned, walking backwards and miraculously not running into anyone. "I really just hope it works, but I know that I have no control over it and it's possibly one of the scariest feelings I've ever had."

"Yeah, love is like that," Knuckles replied.

Sonic blinked. "Love? I wouldn't say _that_..."

The redhead blushed and shrugged. "I just mean in general."

"Do you love her?" Sonic asked, honestly curious.

"...Maybe. I think so."

"Have you told her?"

Knuckles shook his head. "No. It's new for me, too. I just... I want to be sure, y'know?"

"What does it feel like?" the blue-haired boy wondered. "You know, like, being in love. Is it like how the girls talk about it or what?"

Knuckles shook his head. "Naw, it's not really like that, the whole 'this is the only one for me' crap. That's not to say it's not amazing, because it is. Just... whenever I see her, I feel like it's the first time, just kind of funny and bubbly, I guess. It's not _terrible_ to be away from her, but I _do_ miss her when she's not around. I think about her and stuff, and it kind of tingles to hold her hand. Just little stuff."

"And kissing?" The other asked, head tilted slightly.

Knuckles blushed red. "It's kind of a simultaneous riot and peace in your heart. You feel like nothing can stop you. It's a nice feeling."

Sonic hummed under his breath, contemplative, and turned to walk straight again.

"Why?" Knuckles asked.

"Dunno," Sonic replied, falling into step beside him. "I just feel like I'm _behind_ or something. That I'm not as experienced as the others."

Knuckles shrugged. "Give it time. We _are_ different from the others, and it was bound to show in some way or another."

Sonic nodded a little, not convinced, and let the matter drop as they approached the other classroom. Sonic's chest clenched and he _really_ hoped that Shadow wasn't going to hit him. Sonic had made a fairly quick escape that morning before the shock wore off, leaving him home-free in his dash to his classroom.

Rouge waited outside the door to the classroom, her hand wrapped tight around a displeased Shadow's wrist. Rouge glared at any girl that walked too close, Shadow glaring at everyone in general. Sonic could still hear the vague rush of whispers and listened to them grow as the crowd spotted them approach. When the girl spotted them, she muttered something to Shadow that made his scowl look more like a surly pout, the boy half-heartedly attempting to pull his wrist away and sighing when Rouge held tight.

Knuckles greeted Rouge with a kiss to the cheek, knowing that if he tried to hug her, her grip on the stubborn dark-haired boy would break. Shadow glared at the redhead, knowing that his plan was foiled.

"Hi," Rouge greeted with a smile to both Knuckles and Sonic. "How are you guys? Survived so far, huh?"

Knuckles shrugged. "Our teacher knew before I did." He shot Sonic an annoyed glance. "But we're doing okay. The school gossip is on our class, and she won't leave Sonic alone."

Sonic shrugged, looking at Shadow who steadily avoided his gaze. "It's not that bad. It was worth it."

Rouge nudged Shadow in the ribs, who hissed and tried again to pull his wrist away, grumbling, "Maybe for you. I got _mobbed_ after you ran away."

"Hey!" Sonic exclaimed. "I didn't run away, I... made a timely exit." He shoved his hands in his pockets, shuddering a bit as the fabric crushed against his scar. "Fuck, that feels weird."

Rouge winced in sympathy. "Is it any better?"

Sonic shrugged again, replying, "It's just a matter of getting used to it. The new skin is sensitive and weird-feeling."

"Still doesn't hurt?" she asked.

"Nope, just feels funny. I'm more glad to have the cast off, honestly."

Shadow huffed quietly, yet again trying to pull away from Rouge.

"Will you stop it?" She hissed. "I swear, you're worse than a toddler sometimes."

Sonic grinned, stepping in front of the older boy, hands still in his pockets. "What? Are you afraid that I'm going to kiss you again? Was I that terrible of a kisser?"

Really, he did want to know the answer- it wasn't like Sonic had ever kissed anyone else.

Shadow mumbled something, his cheeks coloring slightly. Normally, Sonic would let it go, but whatever had made the stoic elder blush, he wanted to hear. "Hm?"

"I _said_, I wouldn't know." The boy fidgeted again.

Sonic blinked in surprise. "Don't tell me that was your first kiss?" He asked, feeling heat rise to his own cheeks.

Shadow said nothing for a long moment, his only answer to the question a microscopic nod.

"Oh," Sonic mumbled. "Uh... yeah. Mine, too."

Red eyes met green, narrowed in confusion and disbelief.

"I'm _serious_," Sonic insisted with a pout. "It was."

"Why me?"

"Why _not_ you?" the blue-haired boy retorted. "You like me, don't you?"

Another barely-there nod.

"Good, because I like you too. That's all I care about, and you're not running away." Sonic grabbed Shadow's wrist, Rouge releasing it to him with a smug grin toward her friend.

Shadow wished he could glare _real_ holes into her forehead.

Sonic tugged on the elder's wrist and the other grudgingly followed as the other ducked through the hallways and to the courtyard. Sonic ignored the surprised glances that were shot their way, Shadow, however, glared at anyone who so much _thought_ about looking at them.

Sonic pulled him through the campus until he found a place that he deemed suitably alone, releasing Shadow's wrist and sitting comfortably in the shade of a tree.

The elder contemplated whether or not he should sit or just run and forget that this day had ever happened.

Sonic rolled his eyes. "What happened to the guy that wasn't afraid to shove me the first day we met? Come on, _really_? Just sit down."

Shadow sighed, sitting across from the younger, who was actually no longer sitting and rather sprawled out across the grass.

"What are you doing?" He asked, frowning.

"Enjoying the weather. Waiting for you to say what you want to say. I won't interrupt you."

"I'm afraid that there's not much to say," Shadow replied. "You know that I like you already, and for some undistinguishable reason, you kissed me in the middle of the hallway this morning."

"It annoyed you."

"It... yes, it did. I was more embarassed than annoyed. I dislike relinquishing control." Shadow leaned forward, elbows propped on his cross legs, chin in his hands. "I hate being seen as weak."

"I know that you're not," Sonic replied, cracking one eye open to look at the dark-haired boy. "I just figured that if I didn't do something then we would be avoiding each other until we graduated. And then some."

"You couldn't have found me in a less crowded place?"

"It was the only place that I knew you went."

Shadow sighed, closing his eyes. "I suppose that's true. I was avoiding you."

"You should have said something."

"I was unsure of how to approach a topic like that. After what happened... I just didn't think that it was worth it, I suppose."

Sonic opened his eyes, reaching his arms behind his head. "Do you still think that I'm not worth it?"

Shadow shrugged a little, opening his eyes and staring at the ground. "I don't know. It's not you so much as an actual _relationship_ that I'm unsure of. I don't want to feel that kind of loss again."

"Don't you think that maybe I'm one of the best people to understand that, then?" Sonic asked.

"I wouldn't know that, either. I know that you lost a friend."

"Tikal was the only person I'd felt something for," Sonic said. "After I lost her, I never wanted to feel anything again."

"And yet here we are," Shadow replied. "We're almost eerily similar at times."

Sonic closed his eyes again, nodding a little.

They were silent for a few moments, Sonic enjoying the shade and the fresh air and Shadow watching the other carefully, observing the way his chest rose and fell with each breath and the uncomfortable movement of his scarred arm.

Shadow winced. "You told Rouge that your arm didn't hurt... were you being honest with her?"

"Mmhm," Sonic hummed in affirmation. "It doesn't hurt. It just feels like the skin is a little too small and it kind of itches. The texture is the worst, it's so strange." Sonic reached over and offered his arm, which Shadow tentatively touched with his index finger, hand retracting almost immediately. "See, isn't it gross?"

Shadow wrinkled his nose and nodded. It was almost waxy feeling in some places, and though riddled with bumps and dips, it was disgustingly smooth.

Sonic snickered, taking his arm back. "Yeah, I know." He lay it at his side, careful not to bend it.

They were silent for another few moments.

"What do you want to do?" Sonic suddenly asked, eyes still closed. "I mean, I want to at least try this. I want to know that I did all I could to make it work, even if it doesn't in the end. I don't just want to walk away from it."

With an exhale that wasn't quite a sigh, Shadow ran a hand back through his hair, remembering the feeling of shorter, thinner fingers playing with the hair at the base of his neck. Could that have only been this morning?

"I'll admit that I don't want to let this pass by," the dark-haired hybrid started slowly. "But I'm also afraid."

"Its okay to be scared," Sonic replied, shifting a bit so his temple brushed the outside of Shadow's jean-clad knee. "This is new for me, too. You're not alone in this."

Shadow's heart lurched a little at the unexpected contact, his lips twitching upward just a little, and moved his hand to the ground where his fingers brushed the ends of Sonic's hair. The boy sighed, and Shadow allowed himself to twist surprisingly soft strands of blue around his fingers. Sonic nudged his head up into Shadow's palm, nearly purring when the elder freely began to card his hand through his hair.

"I'm afraid that I would lose this," Shadow admitted after a few relaxed minutes of silence. "It honestly is a terrifying thought- that I would grow used to this and have it taken away."

"I'm not going anywhere," Sonic replied, voice soft in a combination of contentment and drowsiness. "I'm perfectly happy right where I am."

Shadow fought the urge to smile but found himself failing- not that he really minded. Sonic's eyes were closed and he wasn't paying attention, too absorbed in the simple comfort of Shadow playing with his hair. The older boy allowed himself to idle for a few moments before he gently tapped Sonic's forehead with one finger.

"Hm?"

"In case you'd forgotten, the lunch break is made for eating."

"Oh, yeah, that." Sonic sighed.

Shadow stood, offering a hand that Sonic took, pulling himself to his feet. He didn't stop there, though, and slid his arms around the other's waist, Shadow tensing in surprise.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

Sonic snorted quietly. "Hugging you."

"Why?"

"Because I can. Stop asking questions. Just roll with this, okay? You're thinking way too much."

Shadow sighed and let reflexes take over, one arm securing around the younger's shoulders, the other around his hips, though in the back of his mind, he wondered whether or not he was doing it right. Either way, Sonic didn't seem to be complaining.

"See? That's not so terrible, is it?"

Shadow frowned. "I suppose not." He let his arms fall, feeling Sonic's drop as well, and was about to step away when his hand was grabbed, foreign fingers interlocking with his own. He blinked, staring at their linked hands and sent a confused glance to the blue-haired hybrid.

"Just go with it."

Shadow gave him a look but said nothing, grabbing his backpack with his free right hand, Sonic getting his own with his scarred left.

_This is going to be a learning experience,_ Shadow thought.

"If you say so."


	16. Dinner Tables & LoveDrunkness

**Hey all! I'm sorry this chapter is late! It could have been a lot later, actually, and the next one probably will be too, since next week has my birthday and my friends coming over for the weekend. I'll try to get one squeezed in there, somewhere. **

**This chapter was royally a pain in the ass to finish. I don't know why, I just got really frustrated with it, so it's quite a bit shorter than it normally is. I also apologize for the crack that occurred in this chappy. I got really bored and it was 100+ degrees out. You can probably understand why this would be a problem, haha.**

**Standard disclaimer applies. Not mine.

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**

Lunch had been easy, in comparison. Dinner was not so cooperative.

Sonic wasn't exactly sure what caused the change, but he was pretty sure he kind-of liked it. Sure, it was awkward at first, but it always seemed to amuse him while playing seat-Tetris with the group.

It started simply, as most things with Sonic seemed to.

Shadow said in surprise, "Rouge is at your table."

And Sonic replied, "That's because you guys are sitting with us."

Fast forward about sixty seconds, and Sonic and Shadow were standing by the booth, Sonic and Knuckles trying to figure out a seating arrangement that would work for all. Normally, Sonic and Knuckles sat on the outside on either end. Sonic's side would go in the order of Sonic, Tails and Cream. Knuckles had himself, Chip and Amy (Chip in said position because of his multiple trips for more and more food).

Of course, adding two extra people was not as easy as it seemed. It would seem that it would be, right? Completely untrue.

"But I don't _want_ to sit on the inside," Chip protested. "I have to get out for more food, and Amy _hates_ getting out."

"I sit next to Sonic," Tails said evenly, staring down Shadow like all the things he'd ever said about Sonic being happy no longer applied.

Sonic sighed and Knuckles started rearranging people like an army battalion commander, Sonic jumping in until the seating arrangement was thus:

Cream sat on the inside, Tails next to her. Sonic sat next to Tails, wedged in between the blonde and Shadow, who sat on the end. On the other side, Amy sat on the inside next to Rouge (the two seemed to be getting along fairly well). Knuckles sat beside his girlfriend and Chip kept to the end, up and down every five minutes as he shoveled down amazing volumes of food.

Sonic could tell that Shadow was uncomfortable, obviously unused to so many people sharing his space, but Rouge seemed to fit in well, talking and joining in the banter without so much as a blink. Tails stared hard at Shadow behind Sonic's back as if he couldn't quite figure the other out- obviously, Shadow was _not_ what Tails had in mind when he said 'anyone'. Shadow played it safe and pretended he didn't notice, but he was starting to wonder whether or not he should find somewhere else to sit, lest he be killed by an eight-year-old with a homemade laser cannon.

Sonic either didn't notice Tails' hostility or didn't care, because he never said a word, despite Knuckles' constant muffled laughter and Rouge's amused looks toward her dark-haired friend.

Shadow didn't find it funny at all.

Amy, despite being friendly enough to Rouge, was not fond of Shadow at all. She didn't so much as look at him the entire dinner break (not that Shadow noticed or cared), hoping that if she ignored him for long enough that he would simply disappear and she would have Sonic to herself again.

All the while, Sonic sat close enough to Shadow for the entire lunch room to buzz with gossip, everyone who passed shooting curious looks to the table that usually commanded space.

At some point, though, Sonic took notice of Tails' death glares and flicked the kid on the forehead. The pouting blonde-haired fox-boy returned to eating, large ears lowered in displeasure.

It took a while, but they all seemed to settle in- even Shadow.

"I thought Stewart was never going to stop talking about the end of World War II- I mean, _really?_ Why are we supposed to care about a time where they didn't even have computers and our species didn't exist?"

"I thought it was interesting," Sonic replied. "We're descended from humans, Knuckles. We should know about their history."

The redhead snorted. "World War III was _much_ more interesting."

Sonic shook his head. "The beginning was far less epic. I mean, it was an old idea. A kamikaze into a major world structure? They targeted civilians. It was completely unnecessary. I mean, I guess the strategy was sound- it wasn't so much about the killing as the resulting panic. If they had succeeded, there may have been a second Great Depression. If the White House had been impacted, they may have gotten what they were looking for- but there again, civilians."

Shadow was intrigued- Sonic, a history nerd? His lips twitched upward.

"Pearl Harbor involved civilians," Knuckles countered.

"Pearl Harbor was an attack on a military base stationed in Hawaii, Knuckles," the tiny blonde said patiently. "And it was a result of aggravation. The United States had cut off Japan from their oil supply. Yes, it was unannounced, but there was already a war that we weren't a part of. Two thousand four-hundred-and-two personnel were killed, all obviously American. In the Nine-Eleven attacks, there were two thousand nine-hundred-ninety-five civilians killed, including the hijackers, and victims included Americans and nationals from at least seventy other countries. And at least one other died from the dust inhalation."

Knuckles rolled his eyes and Sonic chuckled, but Rouge and Shadow stared at the boy like he had just sprouted a second head.

"And, technically, World War III was deemed first as 'The War On Terrorism', just as World War I was called 'The Great War' before it was renamed," the boy added. "I personally think that the idea was overused. It was really Japan's signature maneuver, and the Middle East just kind of ripped it off."

"Ha!" Sonic said in triumph, pointing a finger at Knuckles. "Told you." He ruffled Tails' hair. "Thanks, buddy."

Tails grinned, leaning behind Sonic's back to stick his tongue out at Shadow, who sighed in exasperation and faced forward.

Knuckles grumbled under his breath, Rouge both amused and trying to repair his bruised ego. "Communication was better for WWIII, though," she said reasonably. "It was the first introduction of face-to-face correspondence between soldiers abroad and their families at home. I mean, letters are nice and all, but some never even made it to their intended."

"This is true," Sonic conceded. "I still like WWII, though. It was original."

"They're talking about calling the 'War on Communism' World War IV," Tails said. "I think it would be appropriate. There was a lot of nuclear damage and a bunch of casualties."

"You just liked the technology," Knuckles teased.

Tails shrugged, blushing slightly. "I find arms races fascinating. I mean, the Cold War, the Communism thing... there's so much to learn."

"Arms races cause more damage then they're worth," Shadow said tersely. "All they bring is more destruction."

Tails blinked in surprise, opening his mouth to reply, but a shake of the head from Sonic stopped him short with a huff.

The topic was dropped, and Chip broke the silence- or, rather, his stomach did.

"You're _still_ hungry?" Amy exclaimed. "You just had _seven plates of food_!"

Chip grinned bashfully, grabbing his tray and running back up for eighths. Sonic shook his head with a sigh. "I just hope the kid exercises enough to keep it all off."

"He never sits still," Knuckles replied. "He'll do fine. We just need to get him into a sport."

"Soccer, maybe," Sonic mused. "Or swimming. Maybe both, since they're different seasons. He could be a decent sprinter for the spring semester, once he gets old enough."

"We're Freshmen next year," Amy reminded the blue-haired hedgehog hybrid. "He could take your spot."

Knuckles snorted loudly and Sonic replied with a grin, "We'll see about that."

Sonic leaned into Shadow's side, the other just-barely smiling when Sonic twined their hands together. Even he had to admit that Sonic was the fastest person he'd ever met- human and kemonomimi alike. The likelihood that anyone would ever surpass him in speed was slim- the odds, a million to one at best.

Chip came back with a mile-high plate of pizza and wings, two glasses of grape soda, four bananas- still attached at the stem- a basket of fries and a bowl of ice cream.

He proceeded to down it all in less than five minutes.

And then went up for _more_.

Shadow wasn't sure how he did it, since in that one run, the kid had _already_ eaten more than he had all day. He was less than half his size, for fuck's sake? What was _wrong_ with that kid?

"He eats a lot," Sonic snickered, having spotted his amazed-surprised-slightly disgusted look. "And I _do_ mean a _lot_. This is actually pretty good. I'm surprised that he's not over two-hundred pounds already, but, hey. If it works, then I don't care."

"How much _does_ he weigh?" Shadow asked incredulously. "He doesn't look more than ninety-five to a hundred."

"Dunno," Sonic answered. "I don't ask. He's healthy, that's all I care about."

Knuckles laughed. "It really _is_ a miracle that his stomach hasn't exploded. I don't even think it's supposed to be _possible_, considering that the capacity of a human stomach is somewhere around a quart. He's not even fully grown, either."

"Let's not contemplate the wonders of Chip's stomach," Amy interjected, looking a little queasy. "He eats enough food for all of us. We get it."

"Let's limit him to this last plate," Knuckles said. "We need to get the kids back."

Sure enough, said plate was Chip's last, much to his disappointment and to Amy's relief. Sonic and Knuckles herded the kids out of the dining hall, Rouge and Shadow watching in almost-awe as the kids lined up and stuck together (other than Chip, who walked backwards just ahead of them) like... ducklings. It was kind of adorable, actually.

When the kids were all back in their proper dorms, Knuckles and Sonic returned to the other two.

"Sorry about that," The redhead said with a grin. "They were a little off the wall tonight."

"It's fine," Rouge replied easily. "It was kind of fun to meet them."

Shadow stared at the girl incredulously, a frown heavy on his face.

Sonic laughed at the other's expression. "Yeah, they can be a handful." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I promise that Tails isn't always like that. I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Indeed," Shadow muttered. "He didn't like me very much."

Knuckles shrugged. "He didn't like me at first, either. The kid basically locked-on to Sonic when he first saw him. For everyone else, he takes a while to warm up to them, especially if he's afraid that they're going to try to take this loser away from him." Knuckles grinned, shoving Sonic lightly.

The younger hedgehog-hybrid rolled his eyes. "Tails is just a little kid. Kids are like that, and he's never had parents, so I can understand why he'd be afraid. He'll come around."

Shadow shrugged, still a bit unsettled, but he felt like he understood the blonde boy a little better. "He's young and he's not of my concern."

"He'll just have to get used to you being around," Sonic said with a small smile, grabbing the elder's hand.

The faintest hint of a smile played about the dark-haired boy's lips. "Yes, I suppose he will."

Rouge smiled widely at Knuckles, who led her away toward one of the many courtyards.

"Want to walk around?" Sonic asked.

Shadow nodded, stepping up beside Sonic, no longer willing to be led around. They walked side-by-side, Sonic chattering at him and Shadow answering his questions every-so-often as they were asked. Those who were walking would stop and watch as they passed, but the two took no notice.

Though it was barely six o'clock, the sun was already low in the sky, as it was apt to be so in the last stretch of October. Colors were made rich by reds and oranges before they were dulled by the darkness, and the two headed back toward the dorms. It got to be dark enough so they couldn't quite see, but the lights had not yet switched on, either.

Sonic felt strangely giddy- possibly an effect of his happiness at being near Shadow- and, as an effect, was also uncharacteristically uncoordinated (though he later claimed that his vision was terrible in the dark). Shadow was forced to let go of the boy's hand after the fourth time he tripped over a rock or a tree root, not sure whether or not he should laugh or shake his head at the way the other was giggling like an idiot and falling over himself.

"Did someone drug your drink?" Shadow asked in exasperation at one point, sending the blue-haired boy into another fit of giggling.

"Nu-uh. Just happy."

"I don't understand it," Shadow sighed. "You're acting like a child."

"I'm acting like a girl," Sonic protested. "I haven't gotten to be happy about anything for a while. Let me make a fool of myself, no one else is watching."

The older hybrid sighed, a wry smile forming on his lips. "I don't see what there is to be happy about, but if you desire to act like an idiot, I suppose I could allow that."

Another trip- Sonic bounced over to him, hands on his hips in a stance that was scarily reminiscent of Rouge. "You make me happy."

"The presence of someone else is hardly a reason to behave so."

"I think it's a perfectly good reason," Sonic replied, attempting to walk backwards and having to be grabbed by Shadow so he didn't fall. Giggling, he replied, "Knuckles would have just let me fall. 'Serves you right,' he would have said. But you helped me, see? I think that's a good reason to be happy."

Shadow rolled his eyes, releasing the younger. "The last thing I need is for you to be injured again."

Sonic grinned. "Don't you get it? You _care_ about whether I get hurt or not. I think that's a good reason to be happy."

Shadow's cheeks flushed and he frowned. "You're being utterly ridiculous."

"I don't think I am. Yuck- mosquitoes. I hate these little fuckers."

Thankful for Sonic's sudden ADHD, Shadow suggested that they get back to the dorms, Sonic agreeing and nearly falling _another_ few times.

Shadow shook his head. Of course _he_ was happy, but he didn't need to act like an imbecile to prove it.

* * *

Sonic wasn't exactly sure what had come over him, though he was sure that Knuckles would refer to him as being 'love drunk'. Honestly, he _felt_ stupid, too, but also ridiculously excited and bubbly and whatever other shit there was to describe how he was feeling.

The stairs were pretty much deserted as he and Shadow headed up to their dorms, and Sonic thought he might explode from stomach-fireworks when the other took his hand under the pretense of 'preventing him from falling down the stairs and breaking his neck'. Under the florescent lights, his blush was much more prevalent, but Sonic didn't feel like teasing him about it, considering how much of a stupid-ass he was being already.

"Which floor is yours?" Sonic asked.

"Six."

"Oh, cool. I'm on the fifth."

They climbed the last flight of stairs to the fifth floor, standing awkwardly on the landing and staring at the door, neither quite wanting to go.

"I'm glad," Sonic started, "That it turned out this way."

Shadow looked at the other in a way that was almost _fond_. "Yeah. Though perhaps you should work on not acting like a drunk when we're together."

Sonic pouted. "I did not."

Shadow gave him a look, making Sonic smile sheepishly. His hand pulled away from Shadow's both rising to rest on his shoulders.

Shadow met him halfway in a kiss, determined not to be caught off-guard this time. Sonic leaned back against the concrete wall as his knees threatened to give out, the elder leaning into him. Pale hands wound into dark hair just as they had before. One of Shadow's hands settled on a slim waist, the other behind Sonic's head to keep it from the wall.

At some point in there, Sonic completely forgot that they were in the middle of a public stairwell. It was probably about the time that their tongues met and he learned that Shadow tasted like red licorice.

Shadow pulled away after a while, leaving them both breathless and flushed. It took Sonic a few moments to remember exactly where -and who- he was before he broke out into a grin, resting his forehead against Shadow's.

The dark-haired boy smiled softly and nuzzled the other's cheek. "Go. You said you had homework, did you not?"

"I don't give a shit about that right now," Sonic replied, grinning and leaning up to steal another quick kiss.

Shadow allowed this for a moment before he pulled away entirely. "I can tell. Go on, I have work, too. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Are you eating breakfast with us?" Sonic asked, trying not to pout at being cut off.

"Most likely."

"Alright, then." Sonic fidgeted a little before he moved forward a third time, slipping his arms around the other and kissing him one last time. "Night."

Shadow laughed quietly, going up a few steps to avoid being attacked again. "Goodnight. Make sure you do all your work, or I doubt your teacher will be so accommodating about our relationship."

Sonic grinned like he'd just been handed the moon and told it was his. Honestly, he was just amazed by the use of the words _our_ and _relationship_ beside each other in one sentence, especially when used by Shadow. "I will, I will. Bye."

He slipped through the door into his hallway, too happy to care that the door to his room was stuck yet _again, _finally making his way inside.

Knuckles blinked as soon as he saw his friend. "Do I want to know?"

"I don't know, do you?" Sonic shot back, bag held loosely in one hand as he let it fall, bending to dig out a few textbooks and a binder.

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Don't turn into a man-slut and I won't care what you do."

"There will be no sluttage. I'm sticking with this one, thank-you-very-much." Sonic tossed his things onto his unmade bed, toeing off his shoes.

"That's fine, then," the redhead replied. "Did you have fun?"

Sonic grinned to himself. "Mmhm."

_Lots of fun._


	17. ReUnions & Back Rubs

**Hey kids! Happy birthday to me- and to all of you, since you get a chapter on this lovely day of 7/13. Go figure that I would be born on the luckiest unlucky day ever. Get it? 7? 13? Yeah? Ah, well. I have had a bit too much cake to be fully understandable...**

**Standard disclaimer applies!

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**

**Me: DO I SMELL A PLOT?**

**Sonic: Dei, I think you're just cracked up on sugar.**

**Shadow: *nods* Seriously, guys. Forty reviews in less than a month? Are you all nuts? Look at this kid. I mean, really.**

**Me: *foams at mouth from sugar-rabies and spazzes in corner* I LOVE YOU ALL!

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**

As much as Tails wasn't fond of Shadow, he seemed to grow used to him as they wore into November. A portion of this seemed to be caused by Shadow's interest in his inventions. Shadow knew a surprising amount about machines, and Tails respected his knowledge, even though Tails knew substantially more about some things.

Gossip had died down over the past few weeks- with upcoming holidays, everyone was distracted.

And, more important than Sonic and Shadow, were the occurrences in Station Square _outside_ of the academy.

People were being killed- kemonomimi and human alike.

Sonic wasn't sure what to make of it- there were no killings outside of the city, and all tended to be in the very center. Though there was a moderately small range of age in the victims, there didn't seem to be any distinguishing marks on them- no similar scars, piercings or tattoos. It didn't look like a gang war, but there was no way to be sure, since there were no witnesses to point out suspects.

The police had no idea where to start. Because there were no witnesses or DNA left behind, they were unsure of whether there was one killer or if it was a group. All that could be discerned was that the gun was a pistol, used to shoot multiple wounds to the chest and, finally, execution-style to finish the job.

It made Sonic uneasy. There was gang activity in Station Square- there always had been- but whoever was doing these killings was independent. What he was trying to say or what he was looking for, no one could know.

"I'm not saying we should go active," Knuckles said, Sonic frowning at him. The redhead leaned back against the tree he was sitting under, the other three completing the circle. "But I'm _saying_ that we should do something other than _sit here_ and let people die."

"In case you hadn't noticed," Blaze growled, "We're not exactly up for members right now. There's only the four of us, and if there really _is_ more than one killer, there's probably more than four. It doesn't_ look _like a gang, but it _feels_ like one."

"With Tails' technology it doesn't matter how many we have," Knuckles replied.

"Absolutely not," Sonic snapped. "There's no way. He's eight, and we're not involving him _or_ us. We're already under watch for what happened."

"But, Sonic, we shouldn't just do _nothing_, either," Blaze replied. "The police tracking the case are human. They don't have the abilities we do, and you _know_ that we could figure this out in _half_ the time they could."

"Blaze, we shouldn't get involved," Silver sighed. "We're not minors anymore. We'll get arrested- at _best_. They still haven't declared the Euthanasia Law as unconstitutional."

The girl swallowed. "But we're not dangerous, so it wouldn't be a mercy killing. They're only allowed to euthanize kemonomimi if we're considered to be legally disturbed and a hazard to society. Even then, it doesn't happen often."

"I've already got two deaths on my record," Sonic replied. "If I get another one now, I'll be collared."

"I've got one, too, but some things are more important than being jailed," Knuckles said. "When we started this, we promised that our first priority would be the city. That was all we had when we met- this place. Have we seriously lost our balls? Since when did we care about getting in trouble?"

He ignored the glare that Blaze shot him.

"Since we had _kids_ to take care of," Sonic growled.

"Amy and Chip can handle themselves," the redhead retorted. "And Tails is old enough, too."

"I _don't_ want them to turn into us!" the hedgehog-hybrid hissed. "Amy and Chip are barely fourteen, and Tails is _eight_, Knuckles. _Eight._ And you want to bring him into this? Where does that leave Cream?"

Knuckles sighed in exasperation. "I'm _not_ saying that we go active, Sonic. I'm just saying that we should at least check it out. Tomorrow is Saturday, and there's a bus into the city that goes by the gates at ten. We have senior privileges, so we don't need to tell anyone where we're going. It can be a quick in-and-out. If it's nothing, then we can leave it. Come on."

Sonic frowned heavily, glancing at the others. Blaze nodded and Silver shrugged. "I don't know..."

"We need to do something," the cat-girl said. She twisted, lifting her hair from the back of her neck where a thin gold ring was tattooed onto her skin, a red banner encircling part of it and white lettering printed across. "Do you see what that says, Sonic? _Union._ It was your idea to do this. It was your idea for us to come together to protect this city. It's time for us to do it again."

Sonic frown deepened as he reached over his shoulder to touch the back of his neck where his own brand was hidden. "I know that it was my idea. It was a _good_ idea then, but I didn't know any better." He paused, closing his eyes and he sighed. "Fine. We can try this, but we're going to have to be _careful_. There's absolutely no way that I'm letting the kids be left on their own. Got it?" He looked around the group, taking in the approving glances and hidden grins. "This isn't going to be like last time. We're faster, we're smarter and we're all-around better. There's no room for mistakes."

"Understood," Knuckles replied, easily falling back into his place as Sonic's second-in-command.

"Alright, listen up," The blue-haired boy growled, normally bright and happy eyes darkening until they were hard and calculating. "This is how it's gonna go. Knuckles and I will search out a few of the others. We'll meet up here at eight forty-five tomorrow morning. Make sure you have _everything_-" he looked around, understanding forming in the others' eyes, "-you need. Dress inconspicuously and practically. Tomorrow's rounds are purely for informational purposes, and we don't want to draw notice to ourselves. If the others- if there _are_ others, like Blaze seems to think- then we don't want them to know what we're up to. Clear?"

The others nodded. "We have to make sure that this stays with us. Fall into code around others, but only speak of this if it's absolutely necessary."

"Got it," Blaze replied. Silver nodded in understanding.

"Good." Sonic stood, brushing himself off. "Knuckles, you come with me. We've got a few people to talk to."

The echidna-hybrid pushed himself to his feet. "Get some rest, guys," Knuckles said with a grin. "You'll need it."

He followed as Sonic left them behind, not saying anything. He knew the look in the other's eyes well- he was planning. As much as Sonic made himself look like he didn't care, the redhead knew that he did. Station Square had built Sonic up from the ground. When Sonic had arrived here, he was four years old, and Knuckles had met him shortly after. Where he came from before, Knuckles still had no idea. He wasn't even sure if Sonic knew, himself.

But Station Square knew Sonic, and Sonic knew the city. Before he was brought to the school, he lived on the streets, and that kind of circumstance brought about an understanding of a place that couldn't be found from maps. Even Knuckles, who grew up in the city, didn't know it as well as Sonic.

Others on the campus must have noticed a change, because no one greeted them the way they normally did. It was good to know that the students still knew Sonic for the real person he was- intelligent, intimidating and driven. Sure, he was a happy guy- but when he was fired up, Sonic was one of the scariest guys that anyone could ever meet. He may have been the youngest, but there was a good reason why no one ever challenged him as the leader.

* * *

"Cherry," the blue-haired hybrid called.

The red-haired wolf-girl turned with a smile, but when she saw the look on Sonic's face, it dimmed slightly. "Hey."

"Don't look like that," the boy replied with a fierce grin. "I know that you're going to like what I have to say."

The girl's eyes narrowed slightly. "Go on."

"It seems we're having a bit of trouble with some folks in the city. We're going in tomorrow to see if we can settle the problem, and I, of course, thought of you, since they may be a bit difficult to hunt down."

The girl processed for a moment before her face lit up. "I see. Should I ask the others to come as well? A back-up nose, so to speak."

Sonic nodded slightly. "I'll leave it up to you to bring the ones you feel more comfortable with. Just keep in mind that this is a pretty low-key thing. There shouldn't be any trouble, but it never hurts to be prepared."

The girl smiled, exposing straight, sharp teeth. "Of course, I understand. It's been a long time since I got to have any fun. What time should I meet you?"

"The oak in center campus at eight forty-five. We're taking the bus."

She nodded sharply, looking to Knuckles. "So silent, man." Her smile faded slightly. "This must be serious."

Sonic looked at her cooly. "So the others seem to think. Hopefully it will be resolved quickly."

"Is this an official deal?"

Sonic grimaced. "I was hoping not to expand, but we'll have to see how it goes. It may become necessary."

"Does Shadow know?"

Sonic's frown grew to a dangerous point. "No, and if I have my way, he won't." He shoved his hands into is pockets. "Do you have what you need?"

"I may be short a hand or two, but hopefully I can pull something together." The girl crossed her arms. "Though the balance may be off for a few of them."

"As long as they know how to use it, I don't care about balance. Precaution only."

"Sure."

"Keep this under wraps."

"Will do, boss. Anything else?"

"No, that'll do. Get some rest tonight."

Cherry shot him a mock-salute as he turned and walked away.

Sonic wasn't exactly thrilled about the whole recon-thing, but he figured that it was probably better to get this all done now before the situation escalated. It wasn't so much what he had to do as how he was going to pull it off that stressed him out. "Knuckles?"

"What?"

"Don't tell your girlfriend." Sonic shot a look over his shoulder that meant no argument, but Knuckles couldn't help it.

"Why not? She and Shadow have had experience in this sort of thing. They might be able to help."

The shorter male stopped, turning to stare at his friend. "I said _no._ I don't want them involved, it's not happening, end of story. It won't take much for tomorrow to get out of hand- just one person in the wrong place at the wrong time. And how would you feel if that person was Rouge?"

Knuckles swallowed, eyes suddenly downcast. "I-"

"It would feel terrible. You would always carry with you the guilt of knowing just whose fault it was for her death. That you could have prevented it by just telling her to stay home." Knuckles shuddered, looking up- Sonic's eyes were narrow and darker, angry and completely unfamiliar. "And you would feel her blood on her hands and know that you could have saved her. And even before anyone arrived to help her, you would _know_ that she was already gone. Hopeless- completely hopeless. She didn't have a chance at all... you couldn't handle that."

The redhead stared, openmouthed, at his friend. He took a step back, intimidated beyond belief- he had never felt like this, not even during the face-off few years before.

Sonic saw that fear and hesitance there, and he sneered a cold, humorless smile. "_She is not to be told._" He turned on his heel, stalking off in the other direction.

Knuckles didn't follow.

* * *

When Sonic had been dragged away by his other friends after dinner, Shadow wouldn't have thought too much of it if it wasn't for the worried looks on their faces. He really had no idea what they were so worked up about- but he could only guess it was bad.

And if the way Sonic was stalking by as if he was looking for a neck to snap, oh, yes, it was _very_ bad.

Shadow sighed and grabbed his back, securing it on his shoulder as he jogged after Sonic. "Hey. Sonic!"

The younger made no response- that in and of itself was abnormal. But when he came up behind the other, reaching out to grab his shoulder, he suddenly found his wrist in a pale hand, bent backwards to the point where he could feel the bones begin to bend. He hissed in pain as he searched Sonic's face.

If it wasn't for the identical appearance, he wouldn't have known it was Sonic at all. The blue-haired boy's face was twisted with rage, mouth set in a snarl. His eyes alone made Shadow want to pull away.

_What the hell happened?_

"Sonic!" He exclaimed. "Release me!"

Cold green eyes scanned his face, and after a moment, Sonic visibly swallowed and released his hold. "Shadow."

The elder rubbed his wrist, tensed and ready for the chance that Sonic would lash out again. "What's wrong? Why are you so angry?"

"I- I got into a fight with Knuckles-" The younger paled, taking a step forward hesitantly and reached out. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"I'm fine, it's fine. Don't worry about it."

"Really, I didn't mean to- Shadow..."

"Sonic, I said it was fine," the dark-haired boy sighed. He held out his hand for the other to assess the damage, fingers brushing gently against the fragile, sensitive skin. "See? I'm alright."

"I probably left a bruise."

"_Sore wa nanimo nai._ It's nothing. Please don't worry about it, okay?" Shadow glanced guiltily at Sonic's badly-scared arm. "It doesn't hurt," he lied. "Forget it. What happened?"

Sonic frowned at him, allowing the first sentence to drop. From the other's expression, he hadn't seemed to notice that he'd switched languages. Sonic didn't want to get into that anyway- it was hard enough to pretend that he was back to normal. Once he was fired up, only success could cool him back down.

"We were arguing. It just got a little out of hand. It should be fine."

"You're acting oddly." Shadow frowned at his companion using the younger's grip on his wrist to tug him in- albeit a little painfully. He nuzzled Sonic's temple, a tiny sigh escaping him as the other's agitated warmth resonated through him. "Are you positive that you're alright?"

"Yes," Sonic replied. "Just a little wound up. Oh, and I have some things to take care of in the city tomorrow- I should be back by dinner, hopefully."

Oh, Shadow didn't like this. Sonic was never this vague. No matter what, Sonic was all about specifics. Shadow was always sure to get the details about his spats with Knuckles and what Tails had been working on, whether he wanted to hear it or not. When Sonic was vague, something was up. His stomach clenched in a miniature panic-spasm.

He had to go on offense here, if he wanted to find out anything.

Sonic and Knuckles were fighting- and it seemed to have something to do with the city. He was tense and, judging by his reactions, nearly battle-ready.

_The city._ Shadow realized suddenly. _The murders. Sonic used to be in a gang, right? _

"Nothing too terrible, I hope," the elder said softly- an inquisition hidden underneath that Sonic chose to ignore in his reply.

"Of course not. I just have to get some things and meet up with a few people."

Shadow's suspicions were confirmed- Shadow himself had talked like that to Maria whenever she wanted to spend time together and he was _busy_ with _other things_.

"You wish for me to stay here." It wasn't a question, merely an observation, even if it was slightly bitter.

"Yes." Sonic's eyes were closed off again, and Shadow could read nothing from them.

He couldn't help but be a little hurt, even though he was ninety percent sure that the reason had nothing to do with him, personally. "I don't suppose you'd tell me why?"

"I suppose you'd be right." Sonic released Shadow's wrist, arms settling at his sides. That alone would have alerted Shadow to the abnormality of it all- Sonic loved physical contact, whether it was just holding hands or brushing shoulders or a hug. For him to deny that contact... something was wrong.

Shadow sighed, leaning forward to pull the younger into his arms for a moment. Pressing a kiss to the corner of a familiar mouth, the elder pulled away. Crossing his arms over his chest, he said quietly, "Bring a gun."

Sonic blinked in surprise, tensing to the point where Shadow was beginning to wonder if his muscles would cramp. "What?"

"Contrary to your obvious belief, Sonic, I'm not an imbecile, nor am I blind. I have as much experience in this as you do. You're going into the city to do something about the murders and you don't want me there. That's fine, I honestly- well, I can't stop you. And it would be a waste of my time to follow you around Station Square when I have no idea where I'd be going. I'm just telling you to bring a gun."

Sonic stared at him for a while. Gradually, the harshness faded from his eyes and the younger stepped forward to be embraced again. Resting his forehead against Shadow's shoulder, he sighed heavily and attempted to let the dark-haired hedgehog-hybrid rub some of the tension from his shoulders. "Thank you."

"I'm actually kind of insulted that you thought I was that stupid," Shadow replied, slightly put-off. "And that you would try to lie to me, and that _badly_ as well. You weren't acting like yourself at all."

"I'm really stressed out," Sonic mumbled, the muffled sounds barely reaching Shadow through the shoulder of his leather jacket. "I haven't done this for a few years. It's my responsibility, though, and I have to do it _perfectly_ this time. The stakes are so much higher, even for just a friggin' recon run. It's bad enough that we're short-handed, but Knuckles wanted to bring you and Rouge, and I really just can't handle that. I'm sorry."

"I understand. It's not my territory, anyway. I would be essentially useless. And I can keep Rouge out of the way and none-the-wiser, if you'd prefer."

"Oh, could you?" Sonic asked, turning his face to nudge his forehead into the curve of Shadow's neck. His arms settled heavily around Shadow's hips, and Shadow thought that it was pretty much worth it just to make Sonic relax. "That would make my life so much easier. I get on a warpath once they start me up, and my people skills go down the drain."

"I noticed," the elder replied dryly. "Yes, I can do it. Will you at least keep your phone on?"

Sonic nodded. "I may not answer if you call, because I'll have to have it on silent. But, yeah, I'll keep it on."

"Alright. And you have a gun?"

"What kind of mob boss would I be if I didn't have a gun?" Sonic snickered.

"What kind do you have?" Shadow asked in interest.

"It's a Taurus 100SS." He grinned, the first real smile Shadow had seen from him since he followed the kid. "I love it. It's a hell of a lot better than the pawn-shop pistol I had before. It was, like... rainbow colored."

Shadow snickered under his breath. "Of course, you _would_ have a rainbow-colored gun."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, not anymore. And the one I have now is really nothing compared to Knuckles' gun. He's got a Sig Sauer P556 SWAT. It's a _beast._ Silver's got the P220 Match Elite and Blaze runs a 1911 Tactical Op." He sighed. "I like Taurus, though. Easier to hold."

"I have the pt99," Shadow said. "I prefer Taurus, myself."

Sonic grin widened. "Another thing we have in common. Go figure."

Shadow snorted softly. "Of course. Let's stop talking about this before we get overheard."

"True." Sonic nuzzled more into Shadow's neck, purring quietly. "I'm so relaxed, now. I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"And what was that?" the elder asked.

"You give amazing back rubs."

Shadow smiled to himself as his fingers worked the knots out of Sonic's back and shoulders. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Get a room, guys," Rouge called teasingly as she ran up behind them, skidding to a stop. "Have you seen Knuckles? He's not answering his cell."

Sonic shrugged a little, chin resting on Shadow's shoulder. "Dunno. He said that he had something to do- I think he had to talk to Stewart about something."

"Oh, alright," she replied. "I should probably do my homework, too. Ella's a good teacher, but she's scary when you don't do what she tells you."

"She lets you call her Ella?" Sonic asked. "I heard she was nice."

"Yeah, she is. Bear-hybrid- she's nice when you don't bother her, but when you piss her off, she's scary as all hell. I don't think she lives on campus, though, because she's always talking about some human boy that she looks after."

"Weird," the blue-haired boy replied. "Humans are a strange species. For being more than half of what we are, they act a whole lot differently. I mean, they act in packs more than we do."

"They're just more family-oriented," Rouge replied. "They usually only have a litter of one. Even two is rare. I guess they just prefer to keep their children close."

"They spoil them," Sonic grumbled. "Human kids that see kemonomimi pups on the street are abusive. That's why we have such a low rate of survival in the cities. They used to abuse animals, now they just abuse us. That's why we're segregated from them."

"Humans aren't all bad," Shadow said quietly. "Just some of them. There's a good number of them that are kind."

Sonic glanced up at the elder with a frown. "Well, then, you must have been lucky. I've never met one."

Rouge sighed, putting her hands in her pockets. "They're out there. They're just not common. You said that Stewart was a good guy, right?"

Sonic hesitated. "Yeah, well, he's a teacher. He's not a kid. Anyway, it doesn't matter what I think of humans. So long as they don't mess with me, I have nothing against them."

Shadow hummed thoughtfully, releasing his hold so that Sonic could pull away. The younger stretched, smiling a little when Shadow brushed his lips against his forehead. "Regrettably, I have homework as well."

"I do, too. I hate leaving it until last-minute, so I should probably go do it now."

Shadow nodded, shrugging a little. "See you tomorrow."

"Okay." Sonic waved a little to both Shadow and Rouge, jogging off across campus.

Rouge frowned, sighing heavily. "They're starting trouble, aren't they?"

Shadow nodded.

"Should I call Nega?"

The dark-haired boy frowned. "Yes. Tell him to meet us at ten o'clock in the city tomorrow."

Rouge shifted uncomfortably. "Do you think it's him?"

Shadow swallowed and turned away. "I don't know."

"It sounds like-"

"I know what it sounds like," Shadow snapped. "I know. But I still _don't_ know."

The girl quieted for a moment, hand twitching in instinct, reaching for something that wasn't there. She hated not knowing what she was looking for. Probably even more than she hated getting involved in the first place.

"Do you think he's here for you?"

Shadow closed his eyes, body tensing. "I don't know...

"You can never tell, with my brother."


	18. Traceurs & Gadgetry

**Yo! Dei here, back with another chapter of Black & Blue. We've got some lovely PLOT unfolding in this chapter, as well as some drama (because what is a gang fic without drama?). Many of you probably know the identity of Shadow's mysterious brother already. Some of you may not. It's okay if you don't, lol. That just means you're in for a lovely surprise.**

**Standard disclaimer applies. I own the technology put in here. As far as I know, I invented these things with the randomness of my mind. I may have accidentally stolen some things from SpyKids, and if I did, I apologize Carmen and Juni! :D**

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**Also, many thanks to those who wished me a happy birthday! I had a lovely day, thank you. This chapter is being submitted now because I'm actually celebrating my birthday this entire weekend with my best friend. That's not to say another chapter won't pop up, since we tend to just sit around on my bed and gossip, but that's just a warning. There may be crack in the next chapter, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum. I know that I'll be so hyped up on sugar that I can hardly keep from twitching and screwing up every other word! Next chapter is serious! *SERIOUS FACE* ... :D

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**Another note! (I've edited this about four times after realizing that I forgot to add something, haha. I'm so scatterbrained.) The sport of Parkour or Free Running is featured lightly in this chapter, and will be in others. Please do NOT try any of the stunts listed in this fanfiction unless you have sufficient training and practice. What I'm saying is PLEASE don't jump off a building and then say, "Dei wrote it in her fic! It's her fault!" It's not. Have some common sense, please. ^^" Don't try this stuff at home, kids. Urban Ninja-ing is NOT easy. **

**If you're unfamiliar with Parkour, I will list a link to a video on my profile that is a perfect example. It's truly a beautiful and ridiculously challenging sport. I hope to train at some point in the future. Maybe.**

**You have been warned!**

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**Sonic: I'm the boss, man.**

**Me: I'm pretty sure that _I'm_ actually the boss, here. You know, since I have the computer and the OpenOffice.**

**Sonic: But I have the gun. And the minions.**

**Me: ... Well, I have Shadow!**

**Shadow: What? Keep me out of this!**

**Sonic: *flails in frustration* You can't do that! You already gave him to me!**

**Shadow: I'm not anyone's!**

**Me: Oh, try me. I can do anything I want. Including this. *submits chapter eighteen***

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The group gathered under the tree at eight forty-five sharp. They were all dressed in simple clothes- long, baggy jeans and sweatshirts, the girls with their hair pulled back, clean of any jewelry but something small or light.

Sonic's hair lay straight and un-spiked, covered by a rear-facing baseball cap. His necklace was tucked under his plain gray t-shirt, covered by a black sweatshirt. His baggy jeans hid the comforting weight of his gun, strapped to his thigh. The pocket had been cut on the inside, providing quick and easy access to the gun while being completely unnoticeable.

He always felt better when he was armed. He would be lying if he said he hadn't felt nervous for the past few months without it. It was hard enough to keep a secret when hidden, let alone if he was toting it.

Knuckles was in a white sweatshirt and jeans, and Sonic knew from experience that his own gun would be buckled onto his calf. Blaze was in a lavender zip-up hoodie and black jeans, hers secured to her back. Silver kept it simple enough with the same stuff he usually wore- sweatpants and a half-open zip-up, his gun Velcro-ed to his upper left arm. Cherry, in a pink Varsity cheerleading jacket and track pants, had her hand on one hip, which led Sonic to believe that whatever she had was secured on her other.

Cherry brought three others with her.

A girl flanked Cherry's right, looking almost entirely human except for her gold eyes, which featured slitted pupils. Her hair was long, curly and brown, pulled into a bun at the base of her neck, and she was strangely pale. Her fingernails were long and slightly curved, which Sonic thought was impractical, until she smiled. Thin, curved fangs glistened in the sunlight, and a forked tongue flickered behind them.

"Sarina is a rattlesnake hybrid," Cherry said with a smile. "Poisonous, but only if she has to be. She also has thermal vision. I thought it might help. We go way back." The wolf-girl smiled at her friend, who grinned.

On Cherry's left was a blonde boy, blonde-and-black ears perched atop his head and a long tail twitching eagerly behind him. He bounced in place, filled with energy, gray feline eyes scanning all of them. In jeans and a blue sweatshirt, the boy looked uncomfortable in the choice of clothing.

"This is Hyou, and he's a leopard-hybrid. He's fast and agile, and he's good at getting into places where he's not supposed to be."

Sonic nodded in approval, looking to the last person.

And froze.

Because, standing behind Cherry, there was a boy. In bleached jeans and a gray sweatshirt, yellow T-shirt layered underneath. He was tall and slender, with some of the bluest eyes that Sonic had ever seen, covered by glasses and framed by blonde bangs, the rest of his long hair pulled back to the base of his neck. Atop his head were large, yellow ears, tipped with white. Behind him were two fluffy, yellow-with-white-tipped tails.

"No!" He exclaimed sternly. "Tails! What the hell? Cherry!"

"Tails?" She asked curiously, turning to the blonde boy. "You said your name was Miles. And isn't Tails, like," she held her hand at her hip, "...tiny?"

"My name _is_ Miles," the blonde boy replied with a grin, his deep voice sending a surprised jolt through Sonic. He wasn't sure what the kid had done, but he knew those eyes (and tails) anywhere.

"_Miles "Tails" Prower,_" Sonic hissed. "_No._ I don't know what the hell you did or how you did it, but _no._"

"Aw, come on, Sonic," the boy whined, sounding surprisingly (or maybe unsurprisingly?) like an eight-year-old. "The pill only lasts eight hours. I put a lot of work into this! It's completely temporary, I promise! And I can help!"

"Tails?" Knuckles was still dumbfounded. "You're huge."

The boy pouted. "It's a chemical that induces rapid temporary cell growth. It's essentially an aging pill, and the dosage increases the age gap. It's a hundred milligrams for a year, so I took a thousand... as it wears off, I'll start looking younger again, or so I think. I haven't tested it before, but the theory and limited experimentation made it seem like a pretty sound idea..."

"No!" Sonic exclaimed. "No. I don't care if you're eight or eighteen, you're still a kid. Do you even know what we're going to _do_?"

"You're going to look around in Station Square for the murderer. I'm not stupid, Sonic. Foxes have good hearing, you know- which means I can help as well as I can overhear you talking." The boy- teenager- put his hands in his pockets unhappily. "It's not like I'd be short a weapon."

"_Tails!_" Sonic snapped. "I _told_ you, no more weapons. You're going to be just like I was."

"And what's wrong with that?" The boy exclaimed. "You've done so much for me. I just want to help. I'm smart, Sonic, and I know what I can and can't do. I won't get in the way. Just give me a chance."

Sonic took a deep breath, staring at the aged boy. As much as he wanted to just see him for what he looked like, he _knew_ that he was still only eight underneath.

"You might as well, Sonic," Knuckles sighed finally, rubbing a hand over his face. "Otherwise he'll just follow us in the plane and get into even _more_ trouble."

Sonic balled his fists. "Fine. But you're staying at my side at all times. And if you don't listen to _every word I say_, I _swear_ that I will beat the crap out of you, whether you're eight or not. Got it?"

"Sure," Tails replied with a wide smile. "And, like I said, I know what I can and can't do. I'm already armed, so no worries."

Sonic groaned and rolled his eyes, hoping this wasn't going to turn out as hellish as it was starting. "No distractions, Tails. And what you see today will probably change your opinion of me, but... just try to keep up."

The boy nodded.

Sonic sighed, closing his eyes for a moment and lapsing into what Knuckles called 'boss-mode'. "Okay. I've got bus tickets for all of us. Everyone take one, and we'll all get on. Don't all sit together, since that will look suspicious. Sit separately, and act like normal kids. As soon as we get off the bus, there will be no conversation. We'll branch off into small groups and look for information. Keep your phones on silent. The last thing you need if you're in a bad situation is your phone going off in your pocket. Shit like that could get you killed. If you find something, text me your location. If you don't have my number, I'll give it to you now. Be vague in your messages- even now, texts go through a station where they're recorded and stored for up to a month. They can be used as evidence if we get in trouble. I think that's all. Understood?"

The others nodded, and Sonic gave his cell number to Cherry's two recruits.

"I'll assign teams now. Cherry and Sarina. Silver and Blaze. Hyou and Knuckles. Tails, you're with me. Four teams, guys, and once we hit Station Square at ten, we have six hours to make this happen. We're catching the four o'clock bus back, and if you're not there, you'll force us to come looking for you. Don't be late. If you are, we'll assume there's trouble and blow our cover. If we do that, it'll go public that we're active and it will make out lives difficult to take care of whoever is doing this. Let's keep it quiet, if you please, since I'm under a close watch these days. If I get arrested, you'll all be fucked. Simple as that. Because if I'm arrested, Knuckles, Silver and Blaze will be, too. And whoever is doing this will have a free range."

"We'll get this right," Tails said. "There's no way I'm letting you go to jail."

Sonic smiled thinly, rolling his shoulders and hearing them crack. "Alright. It's eight fifty-five. Let's move out."

* * *

Rouge sat on a stack of wooden crates, swinging her feet, weapon digging into her ribs in an uncomfortably familiar way. "I really should get a new holster."

"I have a pocket built into my jacket. A holster is just a waste of space. You'd be better off with a purse. Girls never go around without them," Shadow replied, pacing the width of the alley. His jacket was slightly unzipped, just enough to reach into the inner breast pocket if necessary, but no one seemed to think twice of two teens sitting in a grimy alleyway.

"I hate purses," Rouge replied, pouting. "They're so... I don't know. Annoying. It's all I can do to carry that stupid backpack."

"Bags have their uses, but I prefer pockets." Shadow stopped pacing and sighed irritably. "They're late."

"We're not late," Ivo replied, turning into the alley, Nega following behind.

Nega was a carbon copy of his son, only his skin was more weathered and his mustache was mostly gray. His sunglasses were polarized sport style, always pulled over his eyes, though green-glassed goggles sat on top of his head. He dressed mostly in black and yellow, looking like a disproportioned wasp most of the time. Though Shadow wasn't at all fond of his style, it wasn't the clothes that mattered- Nega was always creating trouble, and he didn't mean well like Ivo tended to at times- he was just evil to the core.

Luckily, he only had his own interests in mind, so when he deemed the murders as putting a dent in his plans, it was fairly easy to get him to allow Shadow and Rouge to investigate.

"Finally," Rouge sighed, leaping off the crate. "We've been here for twenty minutes already."

"Then your watch is broken," Ivo replied. "Give it to me. I have things for you two."

Shadow blinked, and stepped forward- Ivo's gadgets were always helpful, if a little strange.

He handed each what looked like a simple wrist watch, but when Ivo pressed a button, the watch face turned over and presented a miniature digital diagram of the city. "If you touch the screen, it will zoom in to show your location. Two taps shows the layout of your surrounding area. Three changes it back into a watch, and if you press in the button that looks like a time-adjust dial, it turns into a communicator. The time is pre-set to a satellite, so it will always be accurate. "

"Cool," Rouge said, taking the pink-framed one that was intended for her (if the hearts making up the hands of the timepiece were any indication). Shadow's was simple and black, buttons tinted the same red as his jacket accents. He buckled it onto his left wrist in front of his bracelet.

"Helpful," he agreed. "It's soundless other than the communicator, correct? Is there any way to turn off the communicator?"

"Just pull the dial back to its original position. Other than that, there is no sound mechanism," Ivo replied. He handed Rouge a pair of rhinestone-encrusted white-framed sunglasses, and Shadow a simple contacts case and a thin gold ring. "These are for thermal vision. Rouge, that large stone on the left side is a button that will activate and turn off the glasses. Shadow, yours are in the form of contacts, since I knew you would prefer them to glasses. The ring actually has two parts. The inside is a base and the outside is a slide. One turn to the right turns them on, back to center turns them off. Since it's a separate remote, they communicate through microwave signals, so even if your communications are jammed, they will still work."

Shadow wasn't fond of contacts, but he preferred them to glasses. Glasses fell off and they weren't practical. Luckily it was sunny outside, otherwise Rouge's sunglasses would be rendered nonessential, and in some situations, suspicious.

His thoughts must have shown on his face, because he then told Rouge that the lenses were transitional, and so would work either indoors or outdoors.

"Shadow, another thing. There is a microcamera inside of the contact, and if you push the slider in, it will take a picture. If you find anything, even if you think it may be small, don't hesitate to record it. The pictures will be automatically sent to my phone."

The dark-haired boy nodded, carefully putting the contacts into his eyes and finding that he barely felt them at all.

"Is that all?" He asked.

"Yes," Ivo replied.

Nega crossed his arms and added, "If you realize you are being followed, just remember that staying undercover is your first priority. If you are caught, say nothing. You remember your training, correct?"

Rouge's eyes narrowed. "Of course we do. We're not children anymore."

"Very well," the older man said. "Return to the house when you are finished and Ivo will being you back to campus. You are dismissed."

Rouge and Shadow nodded, walking casually as you please from the alley and disappearing into the crowd, walking side-by-side.

"Do you want to go on your own?" He asked.

"I think we'll get more done that way," Rouge replied simply. "You have what you need, right?"

"Of course. And you?"

"Yep. I'll head downtown to see what I can find. Are you going to look for something?"

The boy smirked. "No, I'm going to _find_ something." His smirk faded. "Keep in mind that the others are in the city somewhere. We have to avoid them, and if they find us, we tell them nothing. These gadgets are helpful, but it wouldn't surprise me if the communicator went straight back to Nega with everything we said. Be careful. If there's anything you want said privately, keep it discrete and send it by text."

"Sounds good to me," the girl replied. "See you in a while, then." She turned suddenly, heading back the way they came from and disappearing in the current of people. Shadow turned down the next alley he saw, skating to the end and using his momentum to carry him into a pop vault, rebounding off a dumpster and grabbing onto the edge of a low roof. He pulled himself up, and, finding a security ladder, proceeded to climb.

Parkour was one of the few things he had to thank his brother for.

Now- maybe- he would use it to stop him.

* * *

"Keep up, Tails."

"You got it."

Sonic sighed, eyes scanning the signs that hung above shops, pace quick and confident. Tails followed at a jog, still not completely used to his modified body and slightly awkward.

"What are you looking for? Shouldn't we-"

"Tails, shut up. Let me do my job."

The boy pouted but obeyed, following his self-adopted older brother in silence. A few blocks down the street, Sonic made a noise of acknowledgement under his breath, turning into a door that Tails would have hardly noticed otherwise. Inside, a violet-haired man with golden eyes sat behind a desk, a long, thin and scaly tail curled around his own waist. His eyes widened with recognition, and the man gave a half-smile of welcome.

"Sonic, it's been a while. How are you?"

Sonic grinned. "I'm doing well, Espio, and you? How's Charmy?"

"I'm doing well, and Charmy is also. He's out gathering files for me from a contact. Vector's here, if you would like to see him."

"I'd like to talk to both of you, to be honest. It's a rather serious situation, and I'm sure you're already a foot-in." Sonic frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

Espio eyed his state of dress and the boy beside Sonic, frowning. "Is that Tails?"

"Yeah, he did something or another to speed his growth."

Espio frowned in disapproval, and Tails blinked- he had never met this man before, at least not that he remembered. "Do I know you?"

"I'm not surprised that you don't. I was the one that first saw you wandering- I keyed Sonic into it, and he went after you." The man smiled vaguely. "Of course, you were very young. We've never officially met. I'm Espio, a chameleon-hybrid. I specialize in stealth and information-gathering." Espio turned his unusually bright eyes back to Sonic. "I assume that you're here about the murders?"

"What else?" Sonic asked.

Espio shrugged a little, pressing a button-activated communicator on his desk. "Vector, would you please report to the front?"

"_Sure thing._"

The crocodile-hybrid came through the back, pushing his large headphones off his ears and grinning as he recognized the two teens in the room. "Sonic, hey, kid. Is that Tails, too? Damn, you must have been fucking with some science stuff again." He chuckled to himself. "I hope you're not here for the reason I think you are."

"I regret to say that I am," Sonic replied, frowning. "The others are out in the city, already checking the murder sites- discretely, of course. I could use all the help I could get, and assurance that my activities won't reach the school."

"Hey, kid, I know how you roll," the track coach replied. "It's none of the board's business what you do in your spare time. Until you kill someone, I don't care. Even then, no one will be hearing it from me. I spend as much time in the shady side of things as you do."

"I don't bother with spilling reputations and actions- unless there's something in it for me." Espio grinned a little. "But this murder problem is a big deal and you're a friend, so I'll tell you all I know for free. The police think there are no witnesses, and there really aren't, but I've gotten rumors and affirmed some of what I know from those. The murderer acts in a group, usually cornering his prey and torturing them, but whether it's for pleasure or something else, I'm not sure. It may be for information, but he doesn't seem to have gotten what he's looking for yet."

"Are you sure it's a he?" Sonic asked. "Gender is important."

"I'm fairly sure it's a he. I got one report that said the murderer was a man, late-teens to mid-twenties, and a kemonomimi. Breed was unspecified, but he had dark-colored hair and skin. He was also identified to wear a thick gold bracelet on either wrist and a black leather jacket. He operates mostly at night- late, usually just before midnight to before sunrise."

Sonic felt his heart sink more and more until he was sure that it was floating around somewhere in his stomach. Tails was staring at Sonic, increasingly alarmed as he went more and more pale.

Espio stood, frown manifesting and growing severe. "Sonic? Are you alright?"

"Hey, man," Vector added, stepping forward to steady the other with a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

Sonic swallowed, his throat dry. Then he swallowed again and opened his mouth, but he felt like his mouth may start bleeding if he tried to talk, so he closed it again in vain. Vector dragged over a chair, which the younger sat heavily in. Bending over, his hands covered his face an he closed his eyes, but he couldn't help but still see the images that bounced around in his head.

Tails crouched in front of him, staring at his 'brother' and leader- he'd never seen the other look so... weak.

"What's goin' on?" Vector asked.

"I'm assuming, from his behavior, that Sonic is familiar with the killer," Espio replied. "Perhaps a friend."

"More than a friend," Sonic whispered. "So much more than a friend."

Vector hissed softly under his breath, pulling away to give the boy space. Sonic clenched his fists until they cracked and marks were gouged into his palms. He maintained this posture for a few long moments until his body relaxed. He stood and replaced the chair to its original position, taking a deep breath and releasing it. In a quiet, strained voice, he asked, "Were there any other distinguishing features of the suspect? Did you notice the characteristics of any of his accomplices?"

"His right-hand man seemed to be a green-haired kemonomimi that looked similar to himself. I believe his name was 'Scourge', though I may be mistaken. I was unable to catch the prime suspect's name. The other accomplice that I noticed was blonde and quite young... he looked quite like Tails, to be honest. Young Tails, though- he had all the same features, but a scar on his cheek. The green-haired man called him 'Little M'. I hope this is helpful to you."

But the more Sonic heard, the more he didn't understand. If Shadow really _was_ the killer... it made no sense. If he had been, wouldn't he have discouraged Sonic from investigating the city? And, knowing Sonic was in a gang, wouldn't he have stayed away from him?

Sonic glanced at Tails, who looked just as confused as Sonic himself did. And what was this about 'Scourge'? Shadow had never mentioned anyone like that, and neither had Rouge. Shadow was always honest with him, even though there were a few things he didn't talk about. And 'Little M', who looked like Tails? It made no sense at all.

Still, Espio was almost never wrong. And if Sonic had a lead, it was up to him to put aside his emotions and to follow that lead to the end.

"I'll text you when I have either confirmed identity or not."

"Alright," Espio replied. "You have Vector's cell number, and he will be here for the weekend. I'm not going anywhere else."

Sonic nodded, looking to Tails and motioning for him to follow. The blonde 'teen' stood and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out what looked like a handheld gaming system.

Sonic knew better.

"What is that?" Sonic asked.

"It's a locator," Tails replied. "Before you got there, I handed out tracking devices. They're small, about the size of a dime, and had them put them into their pockets. I slipped one into Rouge's bag once, and one into a small hole in the lining of Shadow's jacket."

Sonic frowned. "You were tracking my boyfriend?"

"I didn't know him or trust him. I still don't- especially now." Tails scowled, a fierce expression that Sonic had never seen on the normally cheerful boy. "I never expected for it to be so helpful." The boy pressed one of the buttons, and the screen clicked on, a digital map set on the screen, multiple red dots flashing.

"How can you tell who is who?" Sonic asked.

"I put all the locators on a different channel frequency, and I remembered which ones I gave to each person. Shadow got channel six." Tails turned a small, rotating wheel on the base of the locator that looked like a volume control, small numbers printed on the wheel. He turned until the only visible one was a tiny number six. He held out the locator for Sonic to look at as well.

One tiny red dot pulsated on the screen, moving swiftly across the map. "He's headed this way, but he's moving fast. I don't understand how- it's too crowded-"

"He has skates," Sonic replied.

Tails shook his head. "That doesn't mean anything. However the dot is moving, it's as if he's running at full speed and encountering no traffic at all- no cars, no people, nothing. And it's weaving a little, almost as if..." Tails froze, blinking.

"Espio, do you have access to the roof?"


	19. Family Matters & Lowercase Letters

**Another chapter!**

**Meep... I know that it's been a while. If it's any consolation, I did warn you that it would be a few days... I had a lot of fun with my best friend while she was here, and I was sufficiently distracted enough that I couldn't work on this chapter until yesterday (and even then, I was distracted by my old flame, ItaSaku, one of three het pairings I like. Two of which involve Haruno Sakura. Post time-skip, of course). **

**Drama, drama. I couldn't help myself. And we finally get a glance into the mysterious man that is the murderer and Shadow's dear nii-san... *GASP* He's a crazy son of a bitch, but I actually really enjoyed writing him. Almost even more than Sonic and Shadow themselves...**

**Standard disclaimer applies!**

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**OH! And before I forget, I really do apologize for Little M's name. I honestly love it, but I didn't want him walking round being called Anti-Tails, considering that he doesn't even know who the real Tails is. At least in my world. I was thinking, "Miles... M... How can I make a name that's similar to Miles that starts with an M that isn't completely generic?" And then I thought of Peter Petrelli and his crookedness, for some really strange reason (probably something to do with Anti-Tails' unsymmetrical scar), and his gorgeously crooked actor. And Little M's name was born. :D *is shot***

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**Shadow: You only ever give me more reasons to hate you, Dei. I _see_ into your twisted head. I know what you have planned, you sick freak.**

**Me: I never denied being sick or a freak. I will openly admit that I love torturing my favorite gijinka.**

**Shadow: ...Freak.**

**Me: Review! I'm almost at that magical number of 50! Which makes me halfway to a hundred! :D I can't believe you guys love me so much!**

**Shadow: Trust me, neither can I.**

**Me: STFU n00b. Or I will make you lose out to Amy. Or... actually, even Tails is better than Amy... Knuckles? Sure. You'll lose to Knuckles, who doesn't even like men.**

**Shadow: *glares silently***

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* * *

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Shadow was never one for drugs or alcohol. Sure, he drank a few times when he was younger- everyone did- but he never got really hardcore into any of that. It was expensive and overrated and it destroyed the body.

Beside, Shadow already had his preferred high.

For being a land-animal hybrid, he was strangely fond of hurling himself through the air. Front flips, backflips, somersaults- freerunning, parkour, whatever you wanted to call it, whether the goal was getting from A to B as fast as possible or being showy and dramatic. It was convenient and liberating, all the while free and keeping him in top shape.

This was what he loved. In the face of this glorifying sport, he could almost forget about his mission and what he was supposed to be really worrying about.

Almost.

He nearly fumbled in his gap jump when he saw three figures a few roofs ahead of him- far enough away that he could only make out a blonde-haired boy and a green-haired man, flanking a man standing in between them with his arms crossed and a hat facing backwards on his head.

Though there were a few things wrong with this picture, he couldn't help the nudge of panic that flooded into his chest. He nearly missed the transition into a roll- nearly- but recovered without too much scratching to the palms of his hands. Only when he rolled onto his feet and stopped did he realize that his initial reaction was wrong- but that he was still in just as much trouble.

_Sonic. Fuck._

Two rooftops away, a stone-faced teen stared at him, no trace of warmth in his eyes. It was alarming and strange to see- even when the blue-haired boy was upset, there was always some amount of softness reserved in his gaze for his companion. He hesitated, then- he knew that he was supposed to stay out of this whole thing, but could Sonic really be that angry at him for getting involved?

Suddenly, Shadow felt his arms being pulled together behind his back, metal cuffs tightening and clicking as they fastened around his wrists. Before Shadow knew what had happened, a violet-haired man appeared out of thin air, a grim frown on his face.

"Release me!" Shadow snarled, struggling. "Where did you even come from?"

"I'm afraid that I can't release you. You see, you're the prime suspect for the murders that have been happening in our city- or should I say _Sonic's_ city- and none of us are too happy about that," the man replied. "Though, in looking at you, I'm not sure that you're the one we're looking for."

"I've not caused any trouble in this city," Shadow replied, struggling even still as the man led him across a fire bridge to the other rooftops. "I'm as curious about this as you are."

"Yeah, I bet you are," he grumbled, pushing Shadow up a flight of rickety metal stairs to where the others waited, pushing him to his knees in front of the others.

"Thank you, Espio," Sonic said when the violet-haired man released his captive. "Another perfect job, as always."

"I try."

Sonic, however, didn't look pleased at all. He stared at his companion grimly, a frown cemented on his lips. His hand twitched toward his right thigh, where it fell silently. A blonde boy stood at Sonic's side, body slender and awkward, as if he had been stretched suddenly and he wasn't quite used to it yet. In his hands was what looked like a hand-held gaming console, which he frowned at.

"Any sign of her?" Sonic asked.

"She's downtown. It's possible that she had no idea at all, but I doubt it. Maybe you should send someone to pick her up?"

Shadow's eyes narrowed- Rouge was downtown. They must have had some way to locate her... as well as accomplices. "Stay away from Rouge," the dark-haired boy growled. "She hasn't done anything."

Sonic glanced at him without a word, pulling his phone from his pocket and pressing a few buttons, holding it in front of him.

"_I thought we were supposed to communicate through texts,"_ Knuckles complained, voice crackling over the line.

"It seems that there have been some complications. Shadow and Rouge are in the city, and they're up to no good, if Shadow's reaction is any indication. Apprehend your girlfriend- it's very possible that they're not the people they've told us they were."

"_What?"_ Knuckles hissed. "I didn't tell her anything. How did she find out?"

"From what Espio has told me, they are our prime suspects. Be on guard, since it's very probable that she's armed. There is no room for emotions or mercy, here, Knuckles."

The boy on the other line was quiet for a long moment before he said, _"Understood. Location?"_

"Tails has the coordinates. He'll send them to your phone. Be quick about it- I already have Shadow, and she may be in communication with him or have some way to know if he's been captured."

"_Don't kill him. That'll only get us into more trouble."_

"No guarantees. Move out."

"_Roger that._"

Sonic hung up his phone, replacing it in his pocket. He rolled his neck with a heavy sigh as he reached into his pocket, pulling out his gun and twirling it around his finger. "So," he started. "Perhaps I should just be frank with you, since I've already run out of patience. You better find a damn good way to convince me that you haven't killed any of my people before I kill you."

"You _know_ me," Shadow growled. "You know that I wouldn't purposely hurt anyone. I wanted to start new."

"Well, you had no problem with hurting me. And I _don't _ know you. I've been _acquainted _with you for a few months. Try harder."

"You want to play that game?" Shadow replied. "You're going to pretend that our relationship- our _still_ very _real_ relationship- hasn't existed at all?"

"Emotions are useless in my line of work- this is exactly the reason. You're running out of chances to prove your innocence. You might want to stop arguing with me and get on that." Sonic scowled at him. "Why don't you start with _where have you been the past few nights_?"

"At school. In case you'd forgotten, I was with _you._"

"As I recall, you skipped out on me one night- and the next morning a body was found. How do you explain that? And how do you explain that the prime suspect has been described to look exactly like you?" Sonic stepped forward, hand clenching on his gun.

The blonde boy reached out, grabbing his arm with a slight shake of his head. "Don't get carried away, Sonic. For all your talk on emotions, _do_ try to control yours a little better."

The blue-haired boy swallowed, jerking away a little. "There's a reason that I'm the boss, Tails. I know. Let me do my job, and don't get in the way."

Shadow frowned- Tails? How could the kid be Tails? Tails was only eight- unless he had figured out some way to activate rapid cell growth.

The boy pouted unhappily, but stepped back to be next to a green-haired man that Shadow recognized as the track coach. _What is he doing here? Are they all part of the gang? How many others does Sonic have running around?_

"Well?"

"I don't know about the murder, and I don't know why the suspect looks like me," Shadow answered honestly. "I skipped out on you that night because I was ordered to."

"By who?"

"My... caretaker, I suppose." Shadow frowned. "I can't tell you anything about him. He'll probably have my equipment bugged, and I've been ordered not to say a word if I was captured. I'll probably get enough shit for this as it is. I wasn't supposed to be caught here." He glared at the gold-eyes man. "I still don't know how you got me."

"I'm a chameleon," the man answered with a small smirk. "It doesn't take much. Did you honestly believe that you're the only traceur in this city?"

"Traceur?" Sonic asked.

"A practitioner of Parkour. I offered to teach you, once. You wanted to depend more on speed, and Knuckles on his strength," Espio replied.

"I didn't have the time to learn," Sonic replied. "I've done well enough with agility. Track teaches me to run and jump- that's all I need. I was never patient enough to slow down to properly train." He spun his gun around his index finger again, eyeing Shadow contemplatively. "Why are you using Parkour? Is walking not good enough for you?"

Dangerous territory, now. "Parkour is about getting from location A to location B in the shortest amount of time possible. I had a location that I was to check and I was to avoid anyone noticing me."

"And you think that hurling yourself off buildings is the best way to not get noticed?" Sonic snorted. "The best way to elude notice is to blend in. And why are you so set on avoiding attention? Who's after you?"

"No one, hopefully," Shadow mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Shadow glared at Sonic, wishing desperately that he could get to his gun and shoot some sense into his estranged boyfriend. "It's none of your business, Sonic. I'm allowed to have secrets, and so are you."

"You're allowed to have secrets," the younger conceded, a pensive look crossing his face and his hand falling to his side. It lifted just a quickly as he took a few strides forward, grabbing his captive my the collar of his jacket and shaking him, gun resting against his vulnerable throat, though the safety lock was still on. "But you're _not_ allowed to have secrets when it comes to my city! So you better tell me what the fuck is going on, Shadow, because I really _don't_ want to have to kill you!"

"Would you even care?" Shadow snarled, attempting to jerk away from the firm grip that Sonic had on his jacket. His eyes flashed angrily, and he struggled to rock back enough on his heels to stand. He wanted so badly to pull away- this wasn't like Sonic at all, and he hated the role-reversal that seemed to be occurring. After they had gotten together, Sonic had been content to let Shadow take the lead. That didn't mean that he was 'the girl'- he insisted right from the very start that they were equals, and he wouldn't be content to be labeled as _the girl_ of the relationship.

He made it _extremely_ clear that he wasn't a girl. On several occasions.

If there was one thing that Shadow never expected from Sonic, it was this- the total lack of respect and patience and the willingness to hear him out. If Sonic didn't kill him, their relationship- if it still existed- would need some serious mending.

With a clatter that made Shadow flinch, Sonic's gun fell to the ground and a hard blow landed across his face. Though his cheek had taken the brunt of Sonic's punch, he knew that he would have a black eye in an hour or so. His face stung like a bitch- and he was pissed as hell, now.

The others wisely decided to stay out of this conflict. It was easy to see that this was simply not their battle to fight.

"Of course I would fucking care! How could you say that?"

"Well, there's a surprise, Sonic, with all that shit you were just saying about how emotions were useless. Or have you already forgotten? You have _no right_ to be angry this time. You're overreacting and behaving like a child!"

"A _child_ wouldn't put a gun to your head," Sonic hissed, fists clenching to the point of self-pain on the collar of Shadow's coat. "A _child_ wouldn't feel like his _heart_ was ripped out because someone told him that the prime suspect for a murder case looked remarkably like his boyfriend. I don't want to believe it, Shadow, but you're not telling me anything that would help your case, and I _know_ that you have the information I need! Even if it's just a hunch, Shadow, or a stupid little feeling in the back of your mind, _I need to hear it_."

"_I can't_," the dark-haired boy exclaimed, pulling on the cuffs that bound his hands and feeling the metal bite into his sensitive wrists. "I _can't_, don't you understand that? It's not just a matter of _want_, Sonic, it's the fact that if I tell you, you'll get involved. I can't- I just can't do that."

A heavy sigh swept through the blue-haired boy, his hands relaxing slightly and eyes closing for a few long seconds. After a moment, he crouched down to where Shadow knelt, one hand resting on his companion's shoulder. "Shadow," the boy started, pausing and letting his thought face out with a long exhalation.

Shadow could see the circles under Sonic's eyes when they were this close- how late had the other stayed up last night? Instinct told him that his boyfriend was exhausted and that the dark circles were likely from a sleepless night- one of many. His anger faded out almost instantly, and he was compelled to reach out to his younger partner, though he knew he could not. His chest tightened at the emotions in Sonic's eyes- all tightly locked beneath the surface, but visible to those who knew what to look for.

He bit back the natural urge to comfort his semi-mate with a sympathetic whine, instead leaning forward barely enough to nuzzle just under Sonic's jaw. He hoped that Sonic would understand, or at least try to- there were so many things about this situation that he was unsure about, and he didn't want to involve his lover, at least not in this.

If the culprit really was his brother, he wanted Sonic as far from him as possible. His brother was a dark and cunning man, and he held blatant dislike for anyone that was close to his younger sibling. Shadow didn't really understand it, not entirely. There was familial concern for the safety of your siblings, but this was something else entirely. It had only gotten worse the few times that the man had appeared in his life.

It followed a pattern- Shadow would start feeling disturbances... a sixth sense, if you will. Of course, nothing ever came of it. Then the crimes started happening- little, petty things in the first few visits. A string of vandalisms and graffiti, all in the form of a sun with strange, skeletal wings. Break-ins to homes, stealing simple things like money or jewelry, never while anyone was home. Then it escalated- pets being killed. Threatening phone calls. Men found badly beaten in the back alleys of the city, one after another. The perpetrator was never found, and a good description was never compiled. There were always too few witnesses or those too scared to say a word. Then, his brother would visit- usually just once, for maybe an hour at most, and either give him something, whether it was an object or a demonstration of a skill or small bit of information. After he was done, the man would disappear and all would return to normal for another few years.

Along with the desire to start new in Station Square, away from his past, Shadow had known well enough to leave nothing behind. After Maria died, no one ever knew where he went- he merely disappeared, leaving anyone he knew behind. The Kintobor family became the Robotnik family, and Shadow and Rouge kept out of the spotlight as well as they could.

Obviously, it wasn't quite well enough.

Shadow had felt the eyes on his back for a few weeks now, and the sudden string of murders was a signal for _him _being close by. It was really no surprise that his brother had found him. Shadow had always figured that he would- he just never imagined that it would be this soon. After the last time... he never wanted to feel like that again. It was only after the last time that he truly realized how deeply he was in trouble.

He wouldn't involve Sonic in that. He couldn't.

"If you won't tell me what's going on, I can't help," Sonic murmured. "I want to help. I want to take out whoever this son of a bitch is and make him pay. The threat needs to be neutralized, Shadow. I'll need your help to do that, especially if you have the amount of information that I think you do."

"I can't," Shadow replied firmly. "I can't, Sonic, and I will not change my mind. I'm sorry. This involves me, and only me. Even Rouge... I hate having her involved. And if my operation gets too big, it _will_ get noticed, blending in with the crowd or not. Let me do this my way... if I need help, I will ask for it." He pulled back, sitting on his heels. "I would let you help me if you could. But you can't. Not in this."

Sonic stared at him for a moment, an undistinguishable expression in his eyes. He stood, holding his hand out toward Espio, who dropped a small, silver key in it. He walked around Shadow and unlocked the cuffs, pulling them off and tossing them back to the violet-haired man. Shadow rubbed his wrists to free them from the sting, a few deep groves pressed into his wrists where the metal had dug in deep.

"Thank you," Shadow said, rolling his shoulders, stiff from being held back in such an uncomfortable position for so long.

"You knew that I was coming into the city, and you did nothing to stop me. I'll let you go, and I'll have Knuckles let Rouge go. Don't get killed, or else I'll be pretty pissed off." A small smile quirked at Sonic's lips. "And don't get caught again."

"I won't," Shadow replied, turning away for a moment before he paused, turning back to Sonic. "How did you find me?"

Sonic and Tails both broke into a grin, the fox-boy replacing his handheld _thing_ back into his pocket. "Just go," Sonic replied vaguely. "It's already twelve."

"Ah, shit," Shadow grumbled. "Fine. Don't you get into any trouble, either." Shadow abruptly scowled. "If you get into trouble, say nothing about me. _Nothing_, understand? What you say could determine whether you live or die."

"Who are we dealing with?" Sonic asked. "An old enemy?"

"No," The dark-haired boy replied, taking of at a run. "Worse."

He flung himself over the edge of the building, rolling as he made contact with the next roof over, and then the next.

Sonic watched him as he left, and made sure to make the call to release Rouge.

There was still a great deal of work to do.

* * *

Night fell.

The two gangs returned to the school, neither knowing much more than they did going in. Another trip was planned for the net day, and Shadow and Sonic purposefully avoided each other that evening.

Deep in the heart of the city, two men and a young boy polished their weapons, eyeing the busy street outside of their location. A young, blonde boy frowned, fiddling with some gadget and a small screwdriver, a scar on his cheek marring his otherwise adorable face. Large fox ears twitched atop his head, lowering in displeasure at the noise and at his boredom.

"Ne, Scourge, why are we sitting around here like common thugs? I hate this shit," the boy grumbled, throwing a small scrap of metal at a green-haired man.

Messy spikes stuck up from the back of his head and a cigarette was held carefully in his mouth. He carefully worked an oil-stained rag over a shiny metal pistol, his prized possession. As the metal scrap bounced off his leg, he grabbed a broken piece of the wooden crate he was sitting on and threw it back. "Shut yer fucking mouth, Little M. If you have a problem with the plan, maybe you should take it up with the person who makes 'em. God, you're annoyin' little shit."

"I'm bored, Scourge. I need something to do. Go get me a plane."

"I'm not stealing you another fucking plane, brat. You're perfectly capable of doing it yourself, you're just lazy. Try building one."

"Kinda hard to build one without _parts_, dumbfuck!" the young boy hissed.

"Milo," another voice cut in, dangerously quiet and sinister-smooth. "Perhaps you should keep quiet. It would be a terrible shame if you were to get noticed. Then you would no longer be useful to me."

The little boy looked up with wide eyes and ceased talking. He shuddered involuntarily, looking bak down at his project and replying, "Yes, sir."

Scourge grinned, pulling his legs up to sit cross-legged on the crate. "Aw, cut the kid a break, M. No need to kill him so soon. I actually kind of like this one."

"The decision is not yours to make, Scourge. Even _you_ are replaceable, if you outlive your practicality." A man sat shrouded in the darkness atop a large stack of crates, legs crossed casually as he rolled his gun over and under his fingers. Though very little of him could be seen, acid-green eyes glowed, a cat-like slitted pupil contracting as his gaze turned to his older accomplice. "You're very lucky that you've made it thus far. Your only usefulness to me is the information you so miraculously come across. You lived in this city once, did you not?"

Scourge, starting to get nervous, shrugged a little. "A long time ago. I was run out by some group of midgets- the Babylon Rogues, I think they're called. Though, word has it that they were all wiped out. A new gang is in charge of this place... they'll probably be nosing around here, sooner or later."

"Do not try to change the subject," the man snapped. "I'm well aware that there is a group in charge here, Scourge, I just don't find them to be of any concern. What I actually _want_ to know is _why_ haven't you found him yet?"

Scourge shrank back, stuffing his gun into the pocket of his coat and crossing his arms over his chest. "It's not as easy as it seems, boss... the city is huge, and the kid doesn't seem to be located _in_ the city. Any background checks that I did on 'Kintobor' came up empty. It's like they disappeared completely. I can't find records of _any_ of them, and no one from ARK knew where they were going. They just vanished."

The green-eyed man snarled under his breath, hands clenching into fists. "If I knew that Shadow would disappear so completely after the Black Arms incident, I would have taken more care in the manner of which I disposed of my enemies. It was one of very few mistakes I have ever made, and Nega, of course, took notice. Now he is hiding my brother away from me, and that simply will not do. _You will find him._"

Scourge swallowed. "I'll do everything I can, M. And then some."

"I knew I should have put tracers in the bracelets I gave him," the man murmured thoughtfully. "Perhaps, this time, I could find something to place a locator inside so I would never again face this dilemma. My baby brother has always so treasured my gifts, after all."

Scourge and Milo wisely decided to say nothing.

The man let out a soft sigh of disappointment, tucking his firearm inside his leather jacket. Gold cuffs glimmered around his wrists in the dull light, and legs clad in skintight pants were accompanied by a pair of bulky green-and-black sneakers, a white wheel barely visible, hidden in the sole. His hair was a sleek and shiny black, streaked with a pale gray-green and spiked back away from his face.

His face showed nothing but a pair of glowing green eyes and arched brows, everything from the bridge of his nose and down concealed by a white half-face mask, slightly spattered by rusty red specks.

Blood.

Though his mouth could not be seen, the cruel smirk that twisted it was unmistakable, even when hidden by the white cotton. He pushed himself off the stack of crates, landing lightly on his feet with a grace that was nearly feline. Though tall and slender, his aura was threatening and clearly warned anyone who cared to notice- and even some who didn't- just how dangerous this man was.

The man glanced at the glowing screen of his cellular phone before he placed it back in his pocket where he had pulled it from.

"Well, then," he said, and if Scourge and Milo hadn't known the man so well, they may have even said he sounded pleasant. Inviting. Friendly, even.

But with a quick glance at each other, they knew that both had noticed the subtle gleam of madness in those poisonous eyes.

"It's after midnight. Time to go hunting."


	20. Paranoia & Insomnia

**Late, late, late, like the white rabbit. So late! This chapter gave me hell and more.**

**I hate to say it, but it seems like this fic will be coming to a close. I always planned for it to be done before I left for California at the end of August, but this is really starting to get out of hand! Then again, I won't give a definite number on how many are left, but I'd say that within the next five or six, expect Black & Blue to be coming to a close.**

**Standard disclaimer applies. **

**I needed interaction, and that is what you receive! Shadow and Sonic argue _again_ over the identity of the murderer, and it seems that Shadow just won't budge. But will Sonic's lack of information pose a problem in the future? Oh, Shadow, you stubborn bastard. Throw poor Sonic a friggin' bone!

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**Sonic: I'm not a dog!**

**Dei: Hush up. It's a figure of speech.**

**Shadow: A petty terrible expression, if you ask me.**

**Dei: No one _did_ ask you.**

**Sonic: Why do we let her torture you again, Shadow?**

**Shadow: *glares at both* **

**Dei: And I checked the traffic log thing, that I didn't know how to use until recently. 964 VISITORS? Are you guys nuts? And over 2500 hits... geez. I would have been surprised if 30 people read this, not close to a thousand or something...**

**Sonic: I guess torturing Shadow has it's perks, after all! *grins***

**Shadow: That's it, Sonic. You're cut off.**

**Sonic: But-! But-!**

**Dei: Play nice, boys. Remember, kids, reviewing inspires the author to write! 3

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**

"There's been another one," Rouge said that Monday, handing over her phone, screen illuminated with the news of another murder.

Shadow took it, quickly skimming through the article. "This is unfortunate."

"You really have nothing else to say?" Rouge growled. "We _both_ know who is doing this, Shadow. Me-"

"Don't, Rouge. Just don't." The dark-haired boy swallowed and shoved the phone back at her. "I refuse to think about _who_ it is. Let's just get it taken care of. Agreed?"

The girl sighed and nodded, clicking out of the news screen and putting her phone back into her pocket. "Are you going to tell Sonic about this?"

"He probably already knows," Shadow replied, running one hand back through his hair. "You know that he already thinks that it's me. I wasn't with him the night it happened, so he'll be even more suspicious. If the problem isn't resolved soon, he'll be demanding to keep us handcuffed together."

"Well, I don't know about that..." Rouge replied uneasily. "But the article only came out a few minutes ago. He may not, and telling him about it yourself may quell some of that suspicion."

"No, Rouge," Shadow replied firmly, swallowing. "He's getting closer. He'll figure it out soon, and then he'll be here. I need everyone as far from me as possible, and that includes you. You need to tell Ivo and Nega to leave."

"But-"

"_No,_ Rouge. You know as well as I do that he wouldn't hurt me... at least, it hasn't gotten to that point yet. He'll blame all of you, and he'll go after you first. It will never occur to him that leaving was my idea. Well, more like he _refuses_ to believe that it would be my idea." Shadow shoved his hands into his pockets, shoulders tensing a little. "All he wants is me. This time is different, Rouge, I'm sure that you can see that now. He's killing people, Rouge. He's never done that before, no matter _what_ he was here for. I think..."

"You think what?" Rouge asked, stepping forward to place a hand on his shoulder. It made her feel uncomfortable to see Shadow like this- he was always the strong one. Nothing ever got to him. Other than Maria's death, she had never seen him fall apart. And now, he was tearing apart at the seams.

This wasn't the Shadow she had grown up with. This was the one that she had first met, the one that was vulnerable and completely dependent on his brother, confident that the older man would come back to get him. And though he _had_ come back, each time Shadow was left behind, he realized it more and more.

His brother was not a good man. He was unstable, if not crazy, and would do _anything_ he could to get what he wanted. He held no regard for anyone but himself and his brother. Anyone who got in his way was treated like the residue on his gun- quickly disposed of, hardly realized and easily forgotten.

"I think," Shadow started, body tensing to the point of pain as he admitted his realization. "He wants to take me with him. He's not going to leave me behind this time."

"Shadow-" Rouge said in surprise.

"I'm serious, Rouge," the boy said quickly, quietly. "He always said that he would come back for me when I was ready. All the times he visited, I think he was just looking to see if I met his standards. This time is different, and I think that I'm not going to get off so easily this time. He's not going to let me go."

The girl swallowed, stepping forward to envelop the boy into a tight hug, resting her chin on his shoulder as she gently rocked with him, a simple comfort that Shadow was unused to and always thankful for. "What do you think he'll do?"

"You know as well as I do," he replied. "I know you were there last time, outside the door. You were going to talk to me before I went to sleep, and you heard him- you heard how he talked to me."

"That was the night you got your gun, right?" She asked. "He gave it to you."

"He told me that there was a group coming in and that they would be causing trouble. And if they got anywhere near me, to kill them all without hesitation. That, if I did, he would be able to see me sooner."

"You did kill them, just after you almost got recruited. After..."

Shadow nodded silently, pulling away from Rouge's embrace and cracking his knuckles, staring at the ground. "I wish I had been paying attention enough to see who got her. I would have made them suffer."

"It's over now," Rouge said softly, knowing the dangerous look that was slowly creeping into his eyes. "It's done, and there's nothing that can change. All you can do is remember her now, and honor her memory."

Shadow closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out in a heavy sigh. "I know. Anyway, we need to get to class. When we're done this afternoon, we'll go into the city. We need to finish this, and it needs to be soon."

Rouge frowned at him for a few long moments before she replied. "No."

"What?"

"I said no. I'm tired, and we won't have enough time to do anything of value tonight. I have a lot of homework that's due that I _didn't_ do over the weekend because I was running around looking for a psychopath. Spend tonight relaxing- do some homework, play your guitar. God forbid you actually spend time with your boyfriend."

Shadow grimaced. "I don't think he wants to see me, Rouge. He put a gun to my head on Saturday... I think he's still angry."

Rouge flinched- she hadn't known that. "Well, then, make it up to him somehow." She sighed. "There's a large possibility that this time won't go well, Shadow. If your brother gets his way, you won't see him again, one way or another. And even if he doesn't, _you_ know that he'll stop at nothing to feel like he's the only one your attention is on." The girl paused, playing with the belt loop of her pants. "Even if we get him out of the way, he might take Sonic with him. You know that, right?"

Shadow closed his eyes tightly. "It's only as likely as him taking you out."

"No," she replied. "It isn't. He knows that I have never been _interested_ in you in that way. But Sonic... is. If anyone will get hurt here, it won't be you or me. It will be him. So, just... enjoy what time you have with him, okay?"

"I won't let anything happen," the dark-haired boy said surely. "Not to you _or_ to him. But, fine. We'll stay here today."

Rouge nodded her approval, though her eyes showed her disbelief. "Enjoy being a kid, Shadow."

"I'm nineteen. I'm not a kid anymore."

"Age doesn't mean a thing. Just go have fun."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Fun, right. Because running around with Sonic is completely appropriate while my brother is murdering people."

She rolled her eyes, starting off toward the classroom. "Whatever works."

* * *

During the lunch break, one could find Sonic laying on his back under what had been dubbed the 'meeting tree', an apple held, uneaten, in his hand. He needed to strategize if he was going to catch the murderer, but he just couldn't get that rolling, churning feeling out of his stomach from when he had held the gun to Shadow's head.

He'd never been more terrified in his life- and he hated to admit it, but not even when Tikal was killed. It was strange and unsettling and Sonic wasn't pleased by it at all. And, to make matters worse, not only had he not seen Shadow all of yesterday and today, but there was another person dead.

Sonic knew that Shadow wasn't telling him something- Shadow had confirmed that himself- but what he _didn't_ know was _why_ he wasn't being told. Shadow had never seemed to be afraid of anything. Even when Sonic held the gun to him, he was only angry. However, when he started demanding answers, he could see the panic in those familiar eyes.

Sonic sighed, turning onto his stomach and resting his chin on his folded arms. This wasn't going well. He knew that he needed whatever Shadow knew to fix this problem, but Shadow was determined to do it on his own.

But then again... when he had relayed to Knuckles what Espio had told him, he could have sworn that there was a flash of recognition in his eyes- and a slight clenching of his fists when Sonic explained that Shadow said it wasn't him. Knuckles had taken Shadow's side immediately.

Did everyone know but him? What was going on?

Sonic reached for his back, dragging it to where he lay and pillowing his head on it, arms wrapping loosely around the lumpy and awkward backpack. He replaced his apple into the side pocket and sighed, closing his eyes.

Time passed, and he was vaguely aware of the sun changing positions, casting its light into his face and making the light shine red through his eyelids. He turned over with a sigh, deciding that if he fell asleep, he would stay here until someone made him move. He had an A in every class anyway, and he needed the extra rest. He hadn't been sleeping well since Saturday- every time he closed his eyes, all he saw was the panicked look on Shadow's face, and it left him awake almost all night.

"Is this really the best place to sleep?"

Sonic sighed, turning and looking over his shoulder. Shadow stood just behind Sonic's feet, hands in his pockets and a half-amused smirk on his face. Sonic shrugged lightly, replacing his head on his bag.

"Not even a hello? I'm wounded." Shadow took a few steps, sitting cross legged next to Sonic's splayed body, reaching out to lightly touch his shoulder. "Are you angry with me?"

"Huh?" Sonic mumbled, cracking one eye open. "No, 'm not. I thought you were mad at _me_."

"No," Shadow replied, playing with the fabric of Sonic's sleeve. "You had every right to be suspicious of me. You still do. I'm not angry, because you did what you had to do, and you still let me go."

"I punched you."

"Rouge helped me hide the bruise. It's okay, I heal easily. And I deserve it."

"That's not true at all," Sonic grumbled. "I should have listened better. I mean, obviously Espio doesn't think it's you and Knuckles seems to think it's someone else... but no one will tell me who. That's the most frustrating part."

_Knuckles?_ Shadow thought in alarm. _Rouge wouldn't have told him, would she?_ "I would if I could. But it will be easier for me and safer for you to keep you out of this."

"Wouldn't it be easier to have help?" Sonic asked with a sigh, forcing his eyes open and looking to Shadow, whose fingers paused in their fiddling with his shirt. "I mean, I want to help you. Not just because of the city thing, but because it's _you_, and I can tell that whoever is doing this scares the hell out of you."

Shadow's hand clenched in the light blue fabric of Sonic's t-shirt. He said nothing.

Sonic shifted with a groan, rolling his shoulders to rid them of their stiffness before he rolled over to his back, situating his head comfortably in an astonished Shadow's lap. He turned his head slightly, nuzzling the inside of his thigh just above the knee. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, Shadow... but when I find him, I'm going to kill him. And I _will_ find him."

Shadow let out a long sigh. "Sonic..."

"Shadow. You can't tell me that isn't what you want," Sonic reasoned, misinterpreting his reaction. "And even if you don't, it's what I have to do."

"No, Sonic, I know. He... he's out of control. But... I need to be the one to kill him." Shadow swallowed, his hands moving from Sonic's shirt to his hair, fingers tangling in soft strands of blue. Sonic leaned his head back into Shadow's palms, humming softly, waiting for Shadow to continue. "I mean... I have to. It's my responsibility."

"Why?" Sonic asked. He was doing his best to understand, to see Shadow's reasoning without feeling some strange pull in his stomach to not let him do it. "I mean, if you're so scared of _whoever_ it is, then why would you willingly put yourself in their way? Especially if they're killing people- they might hurt you."

"He won't," Shadow replied quietly. This conversation was quickly approaching one of the many places he didn't want to go.

"How do you know?" The blue-haired boy retorted. "If _he_'s killing everyone else, what's there to stop him from killing you?"

Shadow chewed on the inside of his cheek. He wouldn't answer that- couldn't. If he did, he might as well tell Sonic everything. So Shadow stayed silent, biting down on the side of his tongue, the pain making it easier to keep the words from spilling out.

After few long minutes of Shadow's silence, Sonic realized that he simply wasn't going to say anything more. Though he wished that he could simply do what he would with anyone else- holding them down and demanding answers, preferably when he had a gun in his hand and the other was scared shitless- he knew he would never be able to do that to his lover. He could be ruthless on demand, even with his friends, but when it came to those closest to him, he could deny them nothing. Tails, Knuckles and now Shadow... Sonic was starting to wonder if he could get away with a third weakness.

However, Shadow was a weakness that Sonic very much enjoyed.

Sonic hummed softly as long, slightly-calloused fingers carded through his hair, twisting strands in between fingertips and brushing against his scalp. He didn't know why, but he absolutely _loved_ having his hair played with. It was simple and comforting and made him wish that he could have had this when he was young, perhaps from his mother or a sister. But now... well, it made it even better to know that Shadow would probably be the only one to ever touch his hair. Other than Knuckles, who had burned him with a straightener.

"Feels nice," Sonic said quietly.

"Hm," Shadow agreed. "Your hair is soft."

"Mmhm. I don't know why. By all means, it should probably be prickly or something."

"I like it like this."

"Me too." Sonic sighed quietly, resting his cheek against Shadow's pant-clad leg, black fabric coarse against his skin. "...I don't want this to change."

Shadow was stunned into silence by Sonic's words. He never thought- thought that Sonic would actually care enough to want this to stay the same. He had been prepared for the worst after this weekend, because for all that Sonic insisted that he didn't want to hurt Shadow, that blank look in his eyes said otherwise.

Confusion was quickly overwhelmed by relief, and Shadow slid both hands into Sonic's hair, cupping his head carefully in his palms. "Nor do I," he admitted.

Sonic cracked open his eyes, smiling faintly up at the pleased-looking dark-haired boy. "You're not angry about what happened?"

"I thought we already settled that," Shadow sighed. "You did what you had to. I hold nothing against you... and you're not angry that I won't tell you?"

"Everyone has their secrets. That's not to say that I won't find out what they are on my own, but you're not required to share your entire life with me." The younger hybrid shifted again, gently removing his head from Shadow's hands and sitting up and twisting so he faced the other, both sitting cross-legged, knees to knees. Sonic rested his elbows on his legs, chin balanced on his hands. "You can choose to share it with me, of course, but I won't expect that. I know better than to believe that you will tell me everything without a fight."

Shadow's lips quirked upwards. "Perhaps I'll tell you when this is over. But, until then, I'm afraid that my business will have to stay just that- mine."

"You'll ask for help if you need it, though, right?" Sonic frowned, and Shadow came to match his expression.

"Perhaps," the elder repeated cryptically. "I mislike asking for help most of the time. And, like I said, I would much prefer to keep you out of this situation entirely."

"I'm not weak."

"I didn't say that you were. It's not a matter of your strength, because if it was, then I would have no issue with you being involved. It's simply a matter of who I am up against and what you are to me." Shadow fidgeted slightly, uncomfortable with the subject. "You are my weakness, and I was carefully made to be unstoppable- namely, without any significant attachment to anyone but the one who made me this way."

Sonic frowned- that was a clue, he knew it. "You said something about a man named Nega... is he the one?"

Shadow shook his head. "Nega, at the moment, is the least of my worries. He is only preoccupied with money and his own success. Sonic, I don't wish to talk any more about this."

"You're giving me clues," Sonic replied irritably. "I know you are. As much as you want me out of this, I'm sure you won't want me to be blind and deaf to the matter. How would I know what I was up against if you don't tell me? What if I said something wrong and it got me killed?" He knew he was aiming low, now, but it was his only chance of getting what he needed.

"I already told you what _not_ to say."

"Yeah, anything that involved you. But that doesn't tell me what to do otherwise, Shadow. It doesn't tell me what to expect or what to avoid doing. Say, for example, that I was captured right now and I knew nothing more than what you had told me. How would I know what _to_ say, and how to get away? What I could use to my advantage?"

"Well, what _do_ you know?" Shadow asked, frowning.

"I know that I shouldn't say anything about you, and that the culprit looks exactly _like_ you, but isn't you. I know that he had a green-haired accomplice and another that looks like Tails that has a scar. I know that he kills at night and tortures _before_ he kills, likely for information, but I don't know for what. I don't know what he's after. I know that you don't want me involved, likely for my safety. So that leads me to believe that he's either after me, or he's after _you._" Sonic's electric-green eyes narrowed. "I know that I'm going to stop him."

Shadow sighed, closing his eyes and massaging his temples, ears lowering almost flat to his head in frustration. "Sonic..."

"I'm not going to give up, Shadow. If he's your enemy, he's mine. And if _you_ don't tell me, I'll get Rouge or Knuckles to."

"Knuckles doesn't know," Shadow growled. "At least, for Rouge's sake, I certainly hope that he doesn't. And Rouge would never tell. She knows as well as I do that it's unsafe for you to be going after him."

"We're never get anywhere if we go in circles."

"Then stop walking in them." Red eyes narrowed. "I won't say another word. I'm supposed to be relaxing and _you're_ supposed to be eating. Or have you already?"

Sonic sighed, slightly discouraged, and shook his head. "I'm not hungry. I just want to nap."

"Then rest." The frown faded from Shadow's face and he reached out, brushing Sonic's cheek with the back of his fingers. "You look tired."

"I haven't been sleeping well," Sonic replied. "But, now that I'm awake, I should be going to class."

"Skip," the tan boy replied simply. "I'll stay here with you, if you'd like. Or if you want to go somewhere else, that's fine, too."

The blue-haired boy turned again, plopping his head back in his lover's lap without any other reply but a yawn. He closed his eyes, sighing softly as long, thin fingers brushed through his hair again.

He fell asleep quickly, but before he faded into blackness, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.


	21. Midnight Panic & Dark Rooms

**CHAPTER! You gave me so much trouble. Not as much as normal, but I admit that there is a LOT going on in this one, and some of what I hoped would get accomplished actually didn't. Hopefully it will next chapter, but... anyway, lots of drama and the flashback many may or may not have been waiting for. Ah, Tikal. I love that girl.**

**Standard disclaimer applies!**

**WARNING: GRATUITOUS AMOUNT OF SWEARING IN THIS CHAPTER. Though I don't know why I bother warning you by now... XD**

**Next chapter may take a while. I have PACKING TO DO! I'm not sure whether to be happy or sad, but that DOES mean that officially have one month to the day to finish this fic. Let's see if I can actually do it! :D This would be the first multi-chapter fic that I actually finished if I do. But I think most of you would kill me if I stopped anyway. So, for the sake of my life, I give you chapter twenty one!**

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**Shadow: Twenty-one chapters? This is madness.**

**Dei: THIS IS SPARTAAAAAA!**

**Sonic: You idiot.**

**Dei: You know you love me! Oh, and guys, I've surpassed the magical number of 1000 when it comes to visitors. That means that over one thousand individual people have, at some point, clicked on this fic and read at least part of it. Do you know how excited I was when I found that out?**

**Shadow: Let me tell you, she didn't shut up for a few hours. She now brags about her readers and reviewers on Facebook.**

**Dei: I certainly do! You guys are amazing! 3 THANK YOU!**

**Sonic: On to the fic. It's my turn to get tortured today.**

**Shadow: Damn straight. I needed a break.**

**Dei: You're not straight:**

**Both: *sweatdrop***

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Sonic jerked awake, hand reaching for his gun that wasn't there. An arm was slung across his chest, foreign fingers brushing just above his ribcage. Sonic tilted his head back just enough to catch a glimpse of a familiar face, and he relaxed back into Shadow's arms.

The other must have nodded off some time ago, because he didn't wake, even when Sonic had his minor spaz attack. He was leaning back against the tree, head angled to lean against his own shoulder, eyes closed and mouth even-still set in a slight frown. Sonic smiled a little- he'd never had the chance to see Shadow sleep before. He was almost... adorable.

Sonic snorted to himself. If Shadow ever knew that those words had crossed his mind while crammed into the same sentence, he'd likely be fixed with a petulant look and stuck with a generally sulky boyfriend for up to a week. Which really wasn't ideal at all, because as rarely as it happened, Sonic liked to see Shadow smile.

The blue-haired boy sighed, reaching up to brush long, red-streaked bangs from his lover's sleeping face. A slight pull in his gut compelled him to tilt his head up, brushing his lips over the soft and sleep-warm mouth.

A smile faded onto Sonic's face as he gently relocated Shadow's arm to his side, standing and stretching, his back making a few hollow pops as joints readjusted. A quick survey of the rapidly-dimming sky told Sonic was already much later than he'd expected. He should wake Shadow- well, he'd have to either way. It was going to get cold, and dinner was probably almost over... and, well, Sonic had never eaten lunch. His stomach rumbled at the thought.

_Bzzt._

Sonic sighed, knowing that the text was probably from Knuckles, bending down to unzip his bag and pulling the phone from its pocket when it happened.

Something hit him, hard and solid, sending him sprawling to the ground with a grunt. Though still a bit disoriented from waking up in such a strange manner before, he knew that this was why. He always _did_ have a sort of sixth sense. Unfortunately, it was failing him now.

"Motherfucker," he hissed, rolling as he hit the ground and avoiding the boot that came crashing down where his back had been a moment before. There were two of them, he noted- one with unruly green spikes, the other blonde and small, green-glassed safety glasses covering his eyes.

"Tails?" Sonic exclaimed.

The blonde scowled. "I think ya hit 'im too hard, Scourge. Now, stop his squirming so I can chloroform 'im."

"Yeah, yeah," 'Scourge' replied. "Friggin' brat. Ya expect me to do all the work."

Sonic rolled to the side as the boot came down again, hooking his foot behind the man's steady leg and jerking sharply, sending him into a stumble. Sonic pushed himself to his feet, grabbing his bag and reaching inside, just hoping that he'd had the sense to keep the knife in there that he used to carry.

"No such luck, fucker," Scourge hissed, lunging for Sonic and sending them both back to the ground. "You may be good at fighting, but I'm stronger than you are." He demonstrated this by flipping Sonic over to his back like a rag doll and pulling his arm behind and up and twisting. Sonic cried out in pain, other hand grabbing at anything exposed that he could find. He knew he got skin when the larger hybrid hissed in pain.

"Get yer ass over here, Little M. He's writhing like a whore. No fucking wonder Big M's gettin' pissed."

"Who the fuck sent you?" Sonic snarled, fighting with all he had. It was no go- he was good in a fight, but this guy was bigger and Sonic wasn't at his best. "Whoever it is, I'm gonna kill him!"

"Big talk," the blonde one said, taking his own sweet time in reaching Sonic's assailant. "You won't say that when you see Boss. You should have seen his face when we found out where that one was." He jerked his head to the still-sleeping Shadow. "Never saw anything so scary. And then he found out about _you_."

"Me? I have nothing to do with this other than trying to find your 'boss'. He needs to learn not to fuck with what's mine. He won't get away with fucking with my city."

"_Your_ city?" Scourge said in surprise. "Ah, fuck. I know who you are." The man scowled, though his eyes held a little more respect- at least from what Sonic could see with the uncomfortable angle his head was turned at. "Hurry it up, Little M. We've caught ourselves a big fish. Wouldn't want him to get away."

"Tell me something," Sonic hissed, glaring as hard as he could and desperately wishing that looks could kill. Something didn't add up here- and Sonic fully intended to find out what it was, even if it meant his death. "If you didn't know who I was, then why are you here? Were you going to kill me, too? Like you've been killing my people?"

Scourge snorted. "It wouldn't surprise me if you ended up dead, kid. M isn't forgiving at all, and anyone who threatens him or his family is toast without a second thought. And, if you are who you say you are, you've done both."

"His _family_?" Fuck. Fuck, it was all starting to make sense. A culprit that looked just like Shadow, his boyfriend not saying a word about it... hadn't Rouge said that Shadow had a brother. How could he have not realized it sooner? "Motherfucker! Don't you _dare_ touch Shadow!"

"He's not ours to touch." Scourge chuckles darkly, snatching the damp rag from the small blonde's hands. Sonic could see now that the blonde wasn't Tails- his face wasn't quite as round, like he had gone without food for some time, and his eyes were dark, a scar marring his cheek.

"We'd be worse off than you if we tried," the blonde said. "Scourge, over the nose _and_ mouth this time."

Sonic tried as hard as he could not to breathe, but reflex kicked in when Scourge's knee dug into his back and he gasped in a breath, and then another. His eyelids grew heavy and his vision swam, head growing light.

In his last conscious thought before he faded into blackness, he cursed Shadow and his heavy sleeping.

* * *

Shadow's eyes opened slowly, mind fuzzy. He shivered- it was cold... and dark. _When did it get dark?_ He blinked, glancing around and finding himself alone. _And where is Sonic?_

The night was still and silent- too quiet. It couldn't have been that late, surely. Pulling his phone from his pocket and pressing a button, the sudden barrage of light on his unadjusted eyes was nearly painful. He squinted, struggling to read the small numbers- 11:15.

_Fuck, I missed curfew,_ Shadow thought, shoving his phone in his pocket and blindly reaching for his bag in the dark, spots in his vision from the rapid contraction of his pupils. _Sonic wouldn't have left me here to miss curfew. He would have woken me up. Where is he?_

Shadow sighed, scrolling through his contact list and typing out a quick message to his absent boyfriend. _Where did you go?_

The phone gave the little check mark that the message had been sent, and Shadow sighed, pushing his bag up over his shoulder.

_Bzzt._

Shadow blinked, realizing that it wasn't his phone that had vibrated. On the grass, a small square of light appeared, and Shadow approached, leaning over to pick up the device.

_NEW TXT MSG: Shadow. Read now?_

Shadow felt his heart stop. _Sonic's phone. He would never forget this._

He struggled with the phone for a moment until he x-ed out of the alert screen, a new one popping up.

3 MISSED CALL(S).

Shadow's hand clenched around the phone, and he shoved his own into his pocket, frozen in place as he opened up the list of missed calls. All were from Knuckles- and the most recent was only a few minutes ago. That had to mean that Sonic wasn't back in his dorm.

He hit the call button.

The phone only buzzed once before the other line answered.

"_Sonic! You son of a bitch, you missed curfew! Where the fuck are you so I can beat the shit out of you? You better be on your way back."_

Shadow swallowed. "Knuckles?"

"_Shadow? What the fuck? Why do you have Sonic's phone? Oh, God- don't tell me he's in your room or something."_

"He- he's not," Shadow replied, swallowing again. His mouth was suddenly dry and his chest tightened. "I think we may have an emergency."

"_What kind of an emergency? What are you talking about?"_

"Sonic and I met up for the lunch break and skipped afternoon classes because he was tired. I must have fallen asleep as well, because I just woke up and I don't know where he is. I didn't think he would just leave me there, so I texted him, and his phone was nearby. He wouldn't leave his phone. And..." Shadow's voice trailed off as he realized one very important and previously overlooked detail.

The phone- and consequentially, Shadow's hand- was sticky and tinged with red.

"_Shadow?"_

"Blood," he said quietly. "Call up your gang. You're second in charge, correct? Get everyone together, and tell them to be armed. I'll be at your dorms as soon as I can. I think I know what happened."

He hung up the phone, feeling his hands start to shake. He wiped Sonic's phone off on the leg of his pants, shoving it in his pocket and taking his own phone out again. He dialed a number on reflex, holding his up to his ear.

"_Shadow? What-"_

"I don't have time to talk, Rouge. Sonic's missing. I found his phone and there's blood on it, and we need to do something. Get your weapons, and we'll meet up with Knuckles and his forces at his dorms. I'm calling Ivo. I think my brother took him, Rouge."

The line was silent for a few long seconds before Rouge replied, _"Oh, shit. Um, okay, I can do that. Do you want me to bring your gun, too? I can stop by your room."_

"Please do. Get everything of mine that you can. Ten minutes, Rouge, tops. And for god's sake, don't get caught by the RA."

"_You know me better than that, Shadow. I'll be there. Just... stay calm, okay? Sonic is a strong guy. He'll be okay."_

She was lying, he knew. Lying badly. They both knew perfectly well that if his brother even _knew_ about Sonic that he would damn well _not_ be okay. He decided not to say anything in reply, though. He felt sick enough as it was.

"Get on it."

He ended the call.

* * *

It was dark and wet.

Something was dripping, steadily depositing water droplets onto Sonic's cheek, building together and streaming down his face like tears.

That was what woke him up.

His head hurt, but that was probably the drugs' fault. His shoulders were stiff, and his arms were bound together behind his back, handcuffs digging into his wrists painfully, even when he wasn't struggling. He couldn't see, but he thought it was because of the sheer darkness of the room, because he didn't feel a blindfold and his eyes didn't hurt enough for him to be blinded. Hopefully.

He wasn't sure how long he sat in the darkness, but for the first endless stretch, he tried to find some way to get loose. Unfortunately, whatever he was bound to was secure, and just as uncomfortable. It felt like metal, maybe, but the floors were definitely concrete. Sonic would recognize that feeling anywhere- he had slept on it for so long, after all.

Though he wasn't sure where he was, there were endless possibilities- abandoned warehouses, empty apartment buildings, underground basements and sub-terra tunnels- all were present in Station Square. And though he knew almost every single one of the above, it was impossible to be certain if he couldn't see.

Sonic inhaled and exhaled deeply- the room or cell or _whatever_ he was in smelled like mold. It had to be a room, he thought, because it echoed a bit as other water droplets hit the concrete in places other than his face.

_I hate the rain_, he thought. _I hate the noise of it and I hate it. Why am I here? Why did it have to be here?_

He listened to the falling droplets for another unnamed stretch of time, inhaling the wet air and smell of mildew. If they could have put him anywhere to make him crazy, this was it. Sonic was a strong person, but this... well, he always wanted to see things coming. Here, he was pretty sure that he would be able to hear them coming, but hearing wasn't _seeing_ and that was the problem. He would be helpless if he couldn't see.

_Well, I'm helpless anyway,_ he figured. _I just wish that I could see._

But, in the end, he decided that lingering on all the things that wouldn't change and wouldn't help him out of the situation was insignificant. At this point, the smell of the mold was intensifying the pounding in his head, and he was fading fast.

He went unconscious will the sound of water droplets in his mind.

* * *

_The Babylon Rogues weren't exactly tough, as far as gangs went. Whereas Union was based on a group decision with an unofficial leader, the Rogues had a clear leader that made all decisions unaided. And though there was a leader, he was not necessarily the strongest of them all._

_That was what Sonic observed, anyway. _

_And if the Babylon Rogues were going to call Union out, then Union would gladly answer. They always had and always would. Union was a union of fighters- not a union of cowards. They prided themselves on their strength, and though the group was small with only five members official members, they were strong._

_It wasn't supposed to get so serious. Sonic wasn't really sure how it had gotten to this. What started out as a petty rivalry was now dangerous, as much as he didn't admit it. There hadn't exactly been a firefight, but a few shots had been exchanges, though there weren't any injuries yet._

_He'd been confident that it would stay that way._

"_You're not coming," Knuckles said firmly, just barely sixteen and scowling._

_The girl he spoke to scowled, adjusting the squirming blonde boy that was situated on her hip. One long, red dreadlock was held in the boy's chubby hand as he babbled. Full, pink lips tilted upward at the young boy's antics, though her hazel eyes stayed firm. Her tan hand came up to gently pry the lock of hair from the boy's fist as she placed him on his unsteady feet. "Yes, I am. If Blaze can go, then I can, too."_

"_Blaze is almost sixteen, Tikal," the redheaded boy replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're fourteen. You're not getting involved in this, and that's final."_

"_I'll be fifteen in a month," Tikal shot back, bending over to right the toddler that had fallen over. "Tails, honey, go play with your Legos."_

"'_Kay," the boy replied, taking a few unsteady steps before he fell, giving up on walking and crawling at a rapid pace to the carpet where hundreds of tiny blocks were spread out, grouped by color and size. _

"_Oh, come on, Knuckles," Sonic replied, swinging his feet lightly from his perch across the table. "Tikal is a big girl. She can take care of herself. Why shouldn't she go with us? She's initiated."_

"_She's my kid sister, that's why," the male echidna-hybrid growled to his best friend. "Tikal, you know that Dad won't let you go. It's for your safety."_

"_Dad would be fine with it," she shot back with a huff. "Ever since Mom died, he doesn't care what I do. He's never around anyway- he only left this apartment to us and checks in once every few months. As soon as you're eighteen, you know that I'll be out of the house- he'll expect you to take care of me."_

"_That's what I'm doing, Tikal. And that's why you're not going."_

_The girl's face hardened and she huffed, spinning on one leather sandal to march into the kitchen. Her gold and teal headband glinted under the dining room light as he exited, and she slammed pans around, making her agitation known. _

_Sonic frowned in disapproval, and Silver and Blaze who were sitting off to the side decided that they would go and supervise the young blonde fox-hybrid who was steadily constructing St. Peter's Basilica with no more reference than a fuzzy picture printed off from the internet. The kid truly was something else. Sonic shook his head, leveling a glare at Knuckles._

"_You know as well as I do that Tikal is perfectly capable of helping. She has a level head and good aim- what more do you want? We were on the streets long before we were fourteen, Knuckles."_

"_I don't want her out there, Sonic," Knuckles replied with a frown. "What if she got hurt? My dad is distant enough- if something happened to Tikal... I mean, I'm already living at school full-time. But we'd lose the use of the apartment as HQ, and I mean... no."_

"_Knuckles," Sonic replied, glancing at the girl through the open doorway to the kitchen, seeing that she had mellowed some and was humming to herself as she washed dishes. Honestly, the idea of her getting hurt made him get a sharp pain in his chest, but... no one had ever gotten hurt, so what were the chances? "We _need_ her to go with us. We need numbers on our side, and Tikal gives us that. I promise that she'll be fine. We'll keep her out of the way, but, just for appearances, let her be there. Humor me."_

_Knuckles made a face. "I dunno, Sonic..."_

_Sonic frowned at him. "Nothing has ever happened. She'll be fine."_

_They both glanced at the girl in the kitchen- Knuckles uneasily, Sonic with the sort of protectiveness that Knuckles realized belatedly that as long a Sonic had anything to say about it, she would be perfectly fine. What was he really worrying about, anyway? Tikal was smart. She knew when to stay out of the way._

"_Alright," Knuckles replied after a moment. "But you have to _promise_ me that she will be fine. That you'll protect her with your life, okay?"_

_Sonic nodded, grinning and shooting him the trademark 'thumbs-up' that meant he was both in a good mood and totally serious. "You got it, buddy. Hey, Tikal! You can go!"_

_The girl looked over her shoulder uncertainly, and, seeing no deception in either one of them, let out a whoop or excitement, calling out a 'thank you' as she ran upstairs to retrieve her weapon._

_What could be the harm, anyway?_

**o0o0o**

_Sonic realized as soon as they arrived that this time was going to be different. Guns were already drawn when they arrived in one of the alleyways in the back system of Station Square. He stepped in front of his group, eyes carefully locked on the leader- a green-haired, green eyed hawk-hybrid. He was the smallest, but his stance was the most confident. He was flanked by a purple-haired girl, hair covered by a bandana and wearing sunglasses. A large, silver-haired teen stood behind him, goggles perched on his forehead. _

"_Ah, this seems serious," Sonic joked, testing the waters._

"_Of course," Jet, the leader, replied. "You guys have fucked with us for the last time. You honestly think that we wouldn't know that it was you that broke into our hideout and stole the new gear we were working on? Get real." _

"_What?" Sonic exclaimed, scowling. "We didn't do shit, man. We don't need your stupid 'Extreme Gear', or whatever you call it. That shit is whack and not worth our time at all."_

"_Take that back," the girl growled, Wave. "That gear was worth _thousands_- we just got it appraised. Of course, you would know that and that's why you want to steal it!"_

_Sonic scoffed, and Knuckles stepped forward. "We don't care about a hover board or whatever you made. We're about using our bodies to the best of their abilities to get where we need to go. We don't have anything fancy, just our legs, lungs and guns."_

"_That's bullshit," Storm, the large one growled. "Who else would steal from us?"_

"_Who knows?" Sonic replied. "But it sure as hell wasn't us, okay?"_

"_You're lying!" Jet hissed, taking a step forward. "And I hate liars. If you're going to lie, then I'll just have to _make_ you tell the truth!"_

_It didn't take much after that._

_Sonic's gun was drawn in seconds, but it was seconds not fast enough. He was shoved roughly and by then, Jet had shot him three times in the right leg, sending him down. There was another two pops, then- and then the rapid firing of Knuckles' Sig Sauer. Sonic groaned in pain, turning himself and seeing red._

_Tikal lay on the ground, gasping for breath as blood pooled around her. She clutched at her abdomen, sticky red gushing through her fingers. And Sonic knew, then, that she wouldn't make it very long._

_He dragged himself to her side and held her hand, and though he could already hear the sirens, he knew they wouldn't make it. The alleyways were a maze that only those familiar to them could maneuver successfully, and Tikal was simply fading too fast to wait for anyone unfamiliar to learn._

"_I'm sorry," Sonic gasped, tears stinging at his eyes. "I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry."_

"_No," the girl gasped. "It wasn't your fault. You were standing in front of me, and I pushed you out of the way. I took the shots."_

_Knuckles dropped to his knees by his sister's side, shaking badly. Sonic didn't turn- he knew what he would find if he did. He said nothing as the redhead pulled his sister's head into his lap, stroking her hair. "you'll be okay," he said. "You will. They're coming."_

"_I won't make it that long," she gasped, forcing a smile onto her lips. "But, thank you. I love you, big brother. Tell Dad that I'm sorry, and..." she laughed, the sound wet and Sonic winced. "Give Tails a hug for me."_

"_It's gonna be okay," Knuckles repeated, scrubbing at his eyes with the back of one bloodied hand._

_Sonic sighed a little, squeezing her hand. "He will. _We_ will. Tikal..." He didn't bother to fight the tears. He didn't bother denying it- the girl was paling and the sirens were still too far away. "I'm sorry."_

"_Forget it," she replied with a smile. "Find your happiness. I'm... happy. I protected my family."_

_For the life of him, Sonic couldn't understand how she could be so honest, even knowing that she was dying. She weakly squeezed at his hand. "I'm going to see my mom. I'll be okay. I'll continue to protect my family from the other side."_

"_I'm sorry," Sonic repeated, knowing that he sounded like as much of a broken record as Knuckles did. "I'm sorry."_

_With a soft smile, the girl stared at Sonic, hazel eyes growing intense for the last time. "Chaos is power, power enriched by the heart. The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos... remember that, if nothing else."_

"_What does that mean?" Sonic asked, confused and overwhelmed laughter mixing with sobs. "You always say such deep things... I never understand them."_

"_You will," she said softly, the fire in her eyes flickering and fading as they closed. "You will... thank you."_

"_I'm sorry," Sonic gasped._

_The ambulances arrived, but they were too late. _

_By the time the doctors emerged from the critical care unit, Sonic had been bandaged and stitched together, the blood cleaned from his hands. He had stopped crying, but he still felt it there._

_He always would._


	22. Hopes & Realizations

**I know, this one is short. But after starting at the little blinking cursor, I realized that I just couldn't cram anything else into this chapter, so, yes. It's short. Sorry about that.**

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**I killed it! T^T This was supposed to be generally angsty and mean and blah, but I just couldn't help but throw Milo in there, somewhere. M is such a mean bastard to the kid. Oh, and speaking of M, for those of you who are still out of the loop, we find out his identity today! Yay (or not). **

**There are a few things to clarify that I've heard have been kind of confusing- just keep in mind that this makes a lot more sense in my head than it does in yours. As of now in the fic, it's about the end of November, meaning that Sonic and Shadsy have been together for, eh, about a month and a half or so. I know that it's not a real long time, but boys are different than us girls. Obviously. Also, I tend to skip around and be vague- if you don't understand something, let me know so I can fix it. Really. I know that I fail at details, but confusing people accidentally is the last thing I want to do. However, confusing them on purpose happens just as often. ;)

* * *

**

**Sonic: You sick bitch.**

**Dei: Tell me something I DON'T know, love.**

**Sonic: I certainly don't love you anymore!**

**Dei: You'll get over it. Right, Shadow? *cackles***

**Shadow: *glares at Dei from his seat on the floor with a collar around his neck***

**Dei: Review, lovelies! We're getting down to the wire. And, funny story! So I was having writer's block, as usual, so I decided to draw. And what came out was this work for this fic. The only problem is that the scene that it is for does not exist yet! So, I'd post it on DA, but it would be a spoiler. So I guess you all will just have to encourage me to write faster if you want to see the fail!work. In which there are shirtless men and tears.**

**Shadow: No spoilers, Dei.**

**Dei: *waves hand* I know, I know. Anyway, here you are, folks! Chapter twenty two of B&B!

* * *

**

Sonic wasn't sure what day it was anymore. He'd tried to remember what day it was before he was thrown in here, but he came up blank. How long had it been?

_Long enough for my stomach to try and eat itself_, he thought miserably, feeling acid inching its way up his throat. He swallowed it down, wincing at the burn that made itself known in the back of his mouth.

_Think about something else,_ he commanded himself silently. _Anything else... It's the end of November, right? Or has it turned into December? How long have I been in here? How many days has it been? Has it even been a day?_

Sonic had long since lost the feeling in his arms and had given up on trying to move away. His mouth was bone-dry, but luckily since he'd had nothing to eat, he had nothing to get rid of. His only problem was the bile that was steadily rising in his esophagus. He wanted to throw up so badly, just to get rid of some of it- but it would have, really, nowhere to go. So Sonic swallowed it down yet again, nearly gagging at the taste.

_Have I really been reduced to this?_ He thought. _If I make it out of this, I'm going to have to build up my reputation, so at least if someone wants to kill me, they will just shoot me rather than letting me waste away. This is more terrible than anything I could have imagined. It's inhuman._

_Wait_, he realized suddenly. _Footsteps._

Indeed, he could hear the quiet clacking of feet against concrete, coming to stop just outside of his cell- or, rather, his own personal hell. There was a loud clang, then a screech, and metal grated on concrete as the door was slid to the side.

Oh, god, the _light._ He wanted to scream at the main that came with the rapid contraction of his pupils, but he'd decided long ago that he wouldn't give this son-of-a-bitch the pleasure of seeing him squirm. He squinted his eyes shut for as long as he could, at least until the red-tinged light that he saw through his eyelids was bearable enough for him to even consider opening his eyes.

"Ah, you're alive. Excellent- it wouldn't be entertaining at all if you'd died already. Your mental state, though... well, you held up better than expected. I'm not yet certain what I should think about that."

The voice and the casualness with which it spoke of Sonic's death sent shivers down his spine. He cracked open one eye and nearly had a heart attack at what he saw. It was understood, now, how anyone could mistake this man for his lover.

His hair style was identical, but black hair was tinged green instead of red. Part of his face was obscured by a white-fabric mask, but Sonic could see the similarity in their bone structure simply from the slight rise of his cheekbones and the straight bridge of his nose. He was taller- at least by a few inches, but from his place on the ground, Sonic couldn't exactly figure by how much.

Clad in a leather trench coat and tight-fitting pants, feet fit into a pair of wheel-installed sneakers, Sonic couldn't quite decide if he looked like a goth or simply a picture of evil. Probably a little bit of both, if the skull-shaped buttons on his coat were of any indication.

But the thing that set him apart were his eyes- bright green, like Sonic's own, but malicious and terrible and almost glowing. Those eyes held no regard for his life and looked at him like he was a specimen in an experiment- a thing to be used until it was broken and then cast away, forgotten.

Sonic didn't try to speak, though there were many things he would like to say. The acid in his throat was doing him no favors, and he refused to look weak by losing it now.

Sonic would stay strong. He had to.

"I suppose I can understand why he would choose someone like you," the man continued, though Sonic could hear the distaste and disgust creeping up in his voice. "You do bear an uncanny resemblance to us. If I didn't know better, I might even say that you were like us- but I _do_ know better, and that is simply impossible. And your spirit- Shadow believes he is strong, but he isn't quite strong enough. Not yet." The man stepped forward, eyes analyzing Sonic's every move, before he kicked him hard in the ribs.

Sonic did not scream, but the force was enough to make him retch. The acid made its way up and could no longer be held back. Sonic got up as much of it as his body would allow, thankful for the small miracle that none of it got on himself.

"You must be in agony," the man continued, arms crossing over his chest, a darkly amused glint in his eyes. "Your arms have been bound like that for hours, and you haven't been fed. What must it feel like, I wonder? Do you feel like the worthless parasite that you are? But, even now, you still won't scream. Oh, but I assure you, I _can_ make you."

"I am not weak," Sonic whispered. "And I am _not_ worthless. I've done everything I can to protect this city, and if this is how I'll fail, then I will accept that. But I _won't_ give in to a son of a bitch like you."

One sharp bark of laughter escaped the man, amused but humorless. "You can be sure that you will, Sonic the Hedgehog," he replied, two figures appearing in the door behind him. "Quite sure."

The two came forward, and Sonic recognized them as the green-haired man and blonde boy from before. They untied Sonic and blood immediately flowed to his arms, both almost unbearably sensitive and painful. The bigger man made very sure to grab him roughly by them, and a pained groan escaped the blue-haired boy as he dragged him to his feet.

The man from before turned, a small smirk on his lips, and returned to the door.

"Wait," Sonic growled. "If you're so positive that I'll be giving in, then at least give me a name to curse if I do."

The man turned, shooting a glare at the boy. "He never told you?"

"No," Sonic replied, a tiny grin making itself known. "He didn't. He never said so much as a word about you."

The man's hands clenched almost imperceptibly. "My name is Mephiles. Remember it well- it will be the one that kills you."

* * *

_At least they're letting me use the bathroom,_ Sonic mused quietly. _And my hands are more comfortable. Though I wish they would feed me._

They had moved him to another cell, a smaller one with a dim light over head and two piles of blankets on either side of the room for his supervisors- Scourge and a boy called 'Little M'. Scourge was gone, more often than not, and he left the blonde to keep an eye on Sonic.

If he wasn't tied to a cement post, Sonic may have even been almost-okay with the situation.

Maybe.

"Your stomach is growling so loud that I can hardly think," the boy snapped, halting his fiddling with something-or-another that looked suspiciously like a handheld gaming system.

"Sorry," Sonic sneered sarcastically. "I can imagine how my hunger would be inconvenient to you. I'll try to keep it down."

The boy rolled his eyes, huffing when Sonic's stomach gave another hungry rumble. He dragged over his backpack, pulling out a zip-locked bag of bread and threw it at his captive. "There. Eat and shut up so I can work."

"Oh, that's really helpful. You know, because I can't move my hands and all." Sonic rolled his eyes. "Don't do me any favors."

"People can only survive for a few weeks without food, you know," the boy replied with a frown, standing and walking over to Sonic. "And a few days without water. I have that, too. Big M is mean, but he wouldn't want you to starve to death. That's too nice, even for him."

"I don't need your help," the older boy growled. "I'm fine exactly as I am."

"Look," the younger boy aid, frowning in a way that made Sonic's chest tighten- when he made that expression, he looked almost exactly like Tails. "I don't know you, but I don't hate you. The Boss doesn't like me, but if I go against him, he'd kill me. If I let you die, that would be considered going against him, you know what I'm saying?" The boy tilted his head to the side, ears lowering. "We might actually get along if this was different. You don't seem like a bad person. And if you are going to die, well, I won't exactly be sorry because I don't really know you, but at least you shouldn't die feeling like your stomach is steadily eating its way out."

Sonic frowned in return. "It's nothing I haven't experienced. It's been a while, but... I can handle it."

The boy rolled large, blue eyes and pulled a longer-chained pair of cuffs from his pocket, placing them on securely before taking off the others. "Just eat. I'm not going to feed you, though, but it's not poisoned or anything." He returned to his backpack, retrieving a bottle of water and rolling that over as well.

Sonic's pride really didn't want him to accept the boy's offerings, but his hunger at this point was the only thing driving him. Knowing, though, that his next meal may be a long time coming, he took his time in eating and drank slowly. The last thing he needed was to rush and just get sick again.

"Thank you," he said grudgingly when he was done.

"It's not an issue," the young boy replied, sounding a little sad. "I know what it's like to be hungry."

Sonic nodded a little. "You know, you look a lot like a kid I take care of. Like... almost identical. Except that he doesn't have that scar that you do."

"I got this when I first met the Boss and mouthed off. That was a year or two ago, now. I don't exactly remember." The boy sat cross-legged on a rumpled blanket, chin balanced on his hands.

"How old are you?"

"I'm nine."

Sonic smiled just a little, chest constricting again. "When's your birthday?"

"October sixteenth." The boy frowned. "What's with all the questions?"

"Where are your parents?" Sonic ignored the boy's question in favor of asking one of his own.

"Dead. Probably, at least. I've been on the streets since I was about five. I forgot where I came from before that."

Sonic sighed heavily, rubbing one hand over his face. _Tails' birthday. He lived on the streets when he was young- could he be related? Would this be what Tails would be like if I hadn't found him?_

"What's with that face?" The boy asked. "You look like someone just broke your heart. Wuss."

Sonic ignored this question as well. "What's your name, kid?"

The boy scowled. "I'm not a kid. And my name is Milo."

Sonic's fist clenched so hard that his joints popped.

"I think you have a brother, Milo," Sonic finally admitted.

The boy's widened in a way that was almost comical, if not for the strange surge of thinly-veiled hope. "What?"

"I met a kid a few years ago. He was on the streets and about five years old- he could barely walk, but he was smart as hell and built things like nobody's business. His birthday was- is- October sixteenth, and his name is Miles. Miles Prower."

The little boy stared at him. "That's my last name."

"We call him Tails," Sonic said with a little smile. "He has two, just like you."

Milo's lip trembled. "What is he like?"

Sonic sighed, shifting to get as comfortable as he could. "He's a good kid. Really smart, just like I said. He has blue eyes and ears, like you, and he's a little taller than you are. He's a freshmen in high school this year, because the school doesn't know what to do with a kid as smart as he is. Me and my friends took him in with us a few years ago- we all love him. He's nice, and he looks for the good in everyone." Sonic absently cracked his knuckles. "He didn't know about you. If he had, we would have found you, too. I'm sorry that you had to live like you did- I used to be just like you. I skipped out on school because I didn't know how to do anything and go in with a rough crowd. Then my friends found me, and I became their leader. They're good people- we're only interested in what's good for this city. Obviously _Mephiles_," Sonic spat, "Isn't someone we want in our territory. We keep the peace, and these past few weeks have been anything but peaceful."

The boy's foot tapped and he chewed on the side of his thumb, gaze absent. Sonic recognized the stance well- it was the same one that Tails got whenever he was thinking hard about something. If there was any doubt about the identity of the boy before, there was none now.

"I always wondered what would happen if I had a family," Milo finally replied softly. "If I had a mom and a dad and brothers and sisters. Some parents stay with their litters, but many don't anymore. But I kind of remember having a mom, that she was blonde like me and very pretty. And small- the only thing I can really remember her telling me is that we're Fennec Fox hybrids- they're a smaller fox and blonde. That I might be small someday, but that it didn't matter because she loved me the way I was." The boy sniffled miserably. "I don't remember what happened to her. I don't remember having a brother, either, but I was little. Little kids forget important stuff."

"Assuming that we both survive this," Sonic replied after a long moment of silence. "You can meet him. I'm sure he'd love to meet you, too. And, if you want, maybe you could stay with us. We could get you enrolled in school and you could make friends and have access to the Tech building like Tails does to build whatever you want.

The boy looked at Sonic like he was crazy. "But... I'm keeping you here. I'm a bad person. Why would you do that?"

"I used to be like you," Sonic replied. "And no kid ever really means to be bad. It's just the way that they are brought up. So, you could be like me, who grew up pretty badly but made good friends and does good things, or you could be like the guy who's keeping me here and making you watch me. You get what I'm saying?"

Milo blinked and nodded slowly. "I get it, but... you're going to die, right? Mephiles is going to kill you. And I can't let you go, because he would kill me, too. He already hates me."

Sonic smiled, then. "Well, if I get out of here alive, I'll take you with me. How does that sound?"

"But-"

"Don't think about that guy. What do _you_ want?"

The boy frowned, foot jiggling in place. "I want to have a family."

"Then it's settled."

Milo smiled, ears twitching happily and tails flicking beside him. "Okay. But I still think you're going to die."

Sonic grinned viciously. "Oh, we'll see about that."

* * *

"It's been over twenty-four hours! What do you mean, you haven't found him?" Knuckles snarled into the phone.

"_It's not as easy as it sounds!"_ Blaze snapped. _"There are too many places to look, Knuckles! He could be anywhere. There are a thousand places solely in Station Square that he could be, and that's not even when you include the suburbs. Have patience!"_

"Why isn't Tails' tracker working?" The redhead growled.

"_Probably because Sonic is someplace underground or encased in a lead-based facility. That, or it has been destroyed."_

"Fuck it all!" Knuckles exclaimed. "He could be dead already. Tell the others to look faster, because I don't want to find his corpse to be the next one to be found!" He clicked the end button furiously, fighting the urge to launch his phone from the roof of the building as hard as he possibly could..

"It's highly unlikely that Sonic is dead," Shadow said in a monotone, legs crossed as he sat on the top of an exhaust vent, the heat keeping his body warm in the cold air. His eyes were closed and his arms crossed over his chest. "If my brother wanted him dead, there would have been no struggle. I would have woken up and he still would have been there. I fear much more for his safety this way." Shadow's voice trembled slightly before he swallowed and opened his eyes, cold and obscuring his fear. "He's not a kind man, not in the slightest. And if he knew to kidnap Sonic, then he must know what he means to me. He'll kill him slowly just to make a point. And he won't kill him until he has me as well."

"Stop talking like that," Knuckles growled. "Sonic will be fine, and you're not going anywhere. We're going to catch this sick bastard and we're going to kill him and his lackeys."

"Stop underestimating my brother," Shadow snapped back, glaring at the redhead. "And start _thinking_. If the tracker isn't working, that means Sonic must be somewhere it wouldn't work, correct? Send them underground or to an old abandoned facility, something heavy-duty but obscure enough to escape notice. Somewhere that _you_ wouldn't think of, but a psychopathic murdering bastard _would._"

Knuckles blinked once, twice and then frowned. _Where would a crazy person hide that no one would expect?_

His eyes widened. "Oh, my god. I know where they are."


	23. Raids & Hostages

**DUN DUN DUUUUUNNNN.**

**I know, right? Another chapter! *gasp* Oh my! The drama begins to unfold! YESS. I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS DAY SINCE CHAPTER ELEVEN. Well, almost waiting for this day. I'll be much more excited about the next chapter... *ahem* Damn, I really need that spoiler filter checked!**

**Well, lovelies, enjoy this, because FSM knows how long it will take me to get the next one out. Also, please forgive any spelling errors, as it's 12:30am and I've typed eight pages of this in the dark. **

**Standard disclaimer applies!

* * *

**

**Shadow: Really, Dei-**

**Dei: Too tired. Don't start, or I will shoot you like Samuel L. Jackson shot those motherfucking snakes on that motherfucking plane. Oh, please excuse my vulgarity, by all means. I'm too tired to filter out the epicness of _Snakes On A Plane_ that I watched earlier.**

**Shadow: ...Fighting with you isn't worth it.**

**Dei: Hell no, it's not. Neither was trying to eat the Wii, but don't tell Ty that.**

**Shadow: Stop with the inside jokes.**

**Dei:**** Fine, fine. *pouts* Enjoy, kids.**

**Sonic: Sorry about her, guys. We'll put her to sleep and hopefully she won't be writing the next author's note at 12:30am. She's much more lucid at 3am when she usually posts these. *sweatdrop***

**Shadow: Don't make them suffer any longer, Sonic. Let's put her to bed. Enjoy the chapter, readers. We sure don't, which means you, of course, will.

* * *

**

Eastside Institution for the Mentally Unstable had been closed for over fifty years. What was once a largely successful mental hospital had ben reduced to little more than an empty stone fortress that no one dared to approach. Urban legend stated that, if approached at night, the spirits of the former inmates could be seen peering out through the barred windows, and, on occasion, could be heard screaming at the top of their lungs. Of course, the screaming was muffled by the three-foot-thick walls, but who was counting?

Equipped with what was once a state-of-the-art security system, all that remained were the heavy, solid lead doors and flickering florescent lights, the alarms long since dead and the heating unit broken down.

From what Knuckles knew from the one time the gang had broken in about five years ago, it was cold, wet and dark. Some of the lights worked, but most did not, and each floor was held up by huge metal support beams that extended from floor to ceiling. There were no flammable materials used to make the building- only stone and metal and conglomerate.

It was almost impossible to get into, as well- the only way was to either approach from the roof, where the latch on the door to the lower floors was rusted and useless, or to come up from below, where a labyrinth of passages weaving in and out of subway tunnels and sewer systems met the basement, which held the darkest and most isolated cells for those inmates that could not be kept near the others.

In other words, it was the perfect base- respected enough that no one would attempt to enter and secure enough that anyone who tried would have an extremely hard time doing so. It had been their choice for Union's head quarters, but, in the end, the place was just not meant for the chillier months and Tikal insisted that they were not welcome in a place with such spiritual unrest.

Knuckles had conceded- he'd never much liked the place, himself.

He certainly never expected to come back, either. If someone had told him back when school began that he'd be running active with the gang and Shadow as a part of it, playing leader to the others to kidnap their boss back and kill a psychopathic murderer, he would have contemplated whether or not he needed to shoot them and put them out of their misery, for they would have to be insane. But, yet, here he was- 11:45pm on November twenty-ninth, gun drawn and ready and flanked by Shadow as he led his subordinates through the underground maze of tunnels.

He glanced back at the five behind him- Rouge, Silver and Blaze at his back, Cherry, Sarina and Hyou bringing up the rear. The others were safely at home, supervised by Vanilla to make sure that an over-eager Tails didn't follow behind and get himself into trouble. That would be the _last_ thing Knuckles needed- to get Sonic back and have to rush out to rescue Tails in his place.

"Move forward," the redhead hissed as he checked around another corner. Navigating the tunnels was his thing, he had to admit- even Sonic didn't know the underground the way Knuckles did. Sonic had never much liked the tunnels- he had boundaries, and those boundaries kept him away from both the underground tunnels and bodies of water. As surprising as it was, the teen had never learned to swim and hated water in general.

He listened carefully to the footsteps as they followed behind him, counting pairs of feet and nodding to himself in satisfaction when he counted seven, not including his own.

"How much farther?" Shadow growled from his place just behind and to Knuckles' left.

"Not long. Stop fussing and shut up. Shit echoes like fuck down here."

Shadow grit his teeth, hand clenching on the handle of his gun. There were so many things that he wanted to say, but knew that now just wasn't the time. It didn't stop them from swarming around in his head, their velocity so intense that it made his lips tingle from the force of holding them back.

_I'm so sorry, Sonic,_ Shadow thought, chest tightening at the image of his lover held captive by his brother bouncing around in his head. _I never meant for this to happen to you. I should have told you what was happening... wanting to keep you out of this simply wasn't enough, and I should have realized that from the beginning. Hold on- we'll be there soon. I'll do anything it takes to get you back._

Knuckles, feeling Shadow's body shift and tense behind him, mumbled, "Be patient. He'll be okay. We only get one chance, and we're going to do this right. It'll be better in the long run if we take the time now."

Shadow exhaled silently through his nose, biting at the inside of his lip. "Fine."

He twitched as a small hand brushed his back, soothing and familiar and Shadow sighed.

"We'll make it," Rouge said quietly. "You know we will."

Shadow nodded, but stayed silent. He no longer trusted himself to speak.

A few more minutes passed in strained silence, Knuckles halting the group as he peered around corners, Shadow carefully watching ahead with his infrared contacts activated, pushing in on the slider of his ring every so often to take pictures, recording their path through the tunnels. It made him feel more secure to know that Ivo was receiving his pictures and would know how to get to them if anything went wrong.

_As it almost certainly promises to,_ he thought with a nervous pit forming in his stomach. _Nothing ever goes smoothly with him._

"Hang on, guys. We're almost here. I'm going to have to break down the door, and then we're going to have to be fast. Stick together and don't get caught alone. Keep your wits about you." The redhead took in a deep breath, shuddering on the exhale. "Block out anything you may see unless it's absolutely vital to your survival. What we find may not be pretty."

Shadow's nails dug into his palms. Blaze made a soft noise under her breath, and Silver gently nudged her from behind.

"The man we are facing is extremely dangerous," Shadow added after a long moment. "He is sick and twisted and you need to be careful. If you are caught... pray for your lives, but don't say a word."

"Very encouraging," Cherry sighed.

"It's true," Rouge replied. "This is no laughing matter and Shadow is completely serious. If you are caught, don't talk. You may die, but at least it will prevent us from being killed as well."

"Wonderful," the wolf-hybrid sighed. "Oh, Sonic, what have you gotten yourself into?"

"That's enough," Knuckles snapped, cutting them all off. "It's time."

* * *

"Yer fuckin' annoying, Blue," Scourge growled, nudging at Sonic with his foot. "All ya do is complain, and it's really startin' ta piss me off."

"Bite me," Sonic replied with a roll of his eyes. "_You're_ holding _me_ captive. You don't get to complain, but I do."

"Maybe if I shot ya once or twice..." the green-haired young man replied.

"You're not allowed to _damage_ me," Sonic snorted. "Or do you want your ass to get handed to you by that bastard?"

Scourge grumbled under his breath, Milo grinning from his seat in the corner where he was carefully sketching out what he claimed to be a blueprint for his latest invention. The blonde boy giggled quietly when the other agitatedly reached for a cigarette, lighting up and taking a drag.

"Oh, shut it, ya little shit. If you had to listen to Blue's bitchin' all day, you'd get tired of it, too."

"It doesn't bother me too much," the boy replied, foot tapping in irritation as he stared at his notebook, chewing on the end of his pencil. "I can block it out because I'm capable of multitasking. You, on the other hand, are single-minded and easily distracted, so it's no surprise that you can't just ignore him."

"Are you calling m stupid?" The man growled.

"No, just single-minded."

"Why, you-"

"Will you two shut up?" Sonic snorted irritably, cracking his knuckles and rolling his wrists to free them from stiffness. "Can one of you bring me to the bathroom? I gotta piss."

"So vulgar," Milo sighed, closing his sketchbook and setting it aside. "Fine, I'll do it."

"What if he tries to get away?" Scourge asked, frowning. "You're not exactly a big kid, kid."

The boy rolled large, blue eyes. "I have the Taser. What more do you want? Besides, it's not like he could go anywhere."

"True," the green-haired hybrid conceded. "Fine, but make it quick."

"Fine."

Sonic's knee jiggled as he waited for the boy to untie the heavy ropes from around his waist, pulling it out from its loop through the chains on his cuffs. He considered giving the kid a hard time about the amount of time he was taking, but thought better of it- after all, it could always be Scourge, who would simply take his own sweet time in untying his captive and not giving a shit about his needs.

When he was finally released, he caused no trouble for the kid- really, he just wanted to go and get back. Fighting wasn't an option- he wasn't armed, and though he may have been able to wrestle a gun off the boy that was currently leading him around, he knew he would feel badly about it if the boy were to be punished for it... that, and Sonic couldn't handle a weapon properly when chained.

He would simply have to bide his time, and, if Mephiles decided that he was no longer worth it, then his energy would be conserved enough to put up a decent fight. At least, that was what he told himself to feel slightly better about his lack of fight.

His ribs were still terribly painful, after all- Sonic was pretty sure that the man's kick had cracked one or two, if the difficulty of his breathing was any indication. If Shadow's shove could fracture his arm, then there was no doubt in his mind that at least one bone was broken.

If he made it out of this alive, the nurse was surely going to tear him a new one, whether or not the injury was his fault.

The bathroom was small and poorly lit, the only light from a small, barred window. It was dark outside, but there was no light from the moon or stars, a thick layer of clouds blocking the illumination to the light below. Sonic didn't care about clouds, but he hoped it didn't rain- when it rained, the place only got that much colder and less inhabitable.

He'd figured out where he was some time before, when Scourge and Milo were moving him from his old cell to his new one upstairs. He'd been stationed in the basement before, the darkest and most uncomfortable level in the asylum. He'd been kept in one of the isolation cells- as well as being the most secure, they were also the most poorly taken care of, since those inhabitants of the rooms were ones that society refused to recognize as human, and so couldn't care less what happened to them. Serial killers, multiple-rapists and those with the sickest minds known to mankind were kept down there- in a strange sort of way, Sonic was flattered that mephiles considered him enough of a threat to warrant such inhumane treatment. But, then again, the blue-haired hybrid had always been a strange and morbid individual.

"Are you done?" The boy asked, sighing from where he stood, back turned to Sonic.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your panties in a knot- just let me wash my hands." The water was freezing cold and filled with rust flecks, but it was better than nothing.

_Bam._

Sonic stiffened, and Milo jumped in surprise.

The possibilities flicked through Sonic's head lightening-fast. _Police? Unlikely, they'd never find their way in. Mephiles throwing a fit? I can't imagine over what, but it's possible, since he's insane enough to belong here. Or could it be-?_

"Come on, time to go," Milo growled, pulling on Sonic's cuff chains.

Sonic jerked away from the kid. "Milo-"

"No! Like I told you, he'd kill me-" Blue eyes were wide and panicked, flicking to the door as a loud and familiar voice shouted out in a string of curses, another, fainter, echoing up from the ground floor.

"Motherfucking sons of bitches! That's the last time I let Little M do anything-"

"Find him, and make it quick! We don't have much time!"

Two sets of eyes widened and Sonic took a step back. The child grimaced, pulling a gun from his waistband and clicking off the safety, pointing it unsteadily at Sonic. "Come on, Sonic. Let's go."

"I can't," the teen replied. "They're my... they came for me. I can't leave them to be killed and just go with you without a fight, Milo."

"I don't want to kill you," the blonde boy replied, voice shaking. "But if you don't listen, I'll have to-"

"_Milo_," Sonic cut in, face abruptly serious. "You have a few choices, here. One- you can keep pointing that gun at me and shoot me on my way out, because I _will_ be on my way out. Two- you can let me go and pretend that I overpowered you so that you won't get in trouble with the others, and I'll keep my people away from you and have a place for you with us if we survive. What's your choice?"

Terrified blue eyes locked on the Union leader, and suddenly, it didn't matter that this boy had lived his entire life on the streets. He was barely nine and he looked just like Tails, and that was really all that mattered to Sonic anymore.

"Milo, _please._"

Small hands shook before the boy lowered his gun just a little, and Sonic lunged forward, twisting the weapon out of his hands and pushing him- as carefully as he could- to the floor.

"Thank you," Sonic said quietly as he pushed past the boy as took off at a run for the stairs. All he had to do now was to get to the others before Mephiles did.

Easier said than done.

* * *

The door was not as easily felled as Knuckles had believed it would be, but with two quick shots to the lock and a powerful kick, they were in, though their entrance was much louder than he'd desired. The metal hit the concrete with a loud _thud_, and the other stared at it dumbly before Knuckles and Shadow started yelling out orders.

"Sarina, stay with Cherry! Keep your eyes peeled for anything out there, and don't hesitate to use your venom. Hyou, keep out of the way of the bullets!" Knuckles exclaimed.

Shadow didn't have the patience for specifics. He cocked his gun and yelled, "_Find him, and make it quick!_ _We don't have much time!_"

"Way to tell the whole place that we're here," Knuckles grumbled.

"He already knows of our presence," Shadow snapped. "Now, move your ass and help me find him."

Knuckles rolled his eyes but dutifully put the brace to his shoulder, hand in position to shoot at any time. "Go- I'll cover you. You probably are less likely to be shot if you go first."

"True," the dark-haired teen conceded. "Stay close."

"Just go."

Shadow took one step, then another and pushed off as hard as he could. He skated around debris on the floor, Knuckles staying as close as he could behind the younger, who was quickly approaching becoming a black-and-red blur.

_He's fast!_ The redhead thought in surprise. _Almost as fast as Sonic. _

"Are you still behind me?" The teen asked.

"Yeah," Knuckles replied. "There should be a stairway on your next left. Let's take that up and see what we can find upstairs."

"Hey! You little shit, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" They turned, facing an angry, green-haired man for barely a second before Knuckles was shoved hard and Shadow jumped out of the way, a bullet embedding itself into the concrete. The redhead shot a few rounds back at the man who looked like a punked-out Sonic, a cigarette nearly burned down to the filter held between his lips, a gun in hand. "Ya better get out, pipsqueak," the man growled, ducking into a doorway and returning fire. "'Cause if ya don't go now, ya won't be gettin' out alive."

"I won't leave without the boss," Knuckles snarled. "Shadow, go! I've got this." Shadow didn't bother arguing- Knuckles had already braced himself behind a steel crate, one of many that littered the hallway, shooting at the green-haired hybrid and exchanging curses with each and every bullet.

He took the stairs up three at a time, twisting on the ball of his foot on the corners, using his own momentum and the centrifugal force of a spin with a rusted railing as his pivot point to launch him up another few steps. He reached the landing on one particular leap that had him head-first- he balanced himself precariously on his hands before rolling forward to avoid impact. The roll carried him back to his feet, and he skated out into the hallway before he found himself flat on his ass, someone else crushing the air out of him.

Shadow shoved his assailant off out of reflex before he realized who it was- a blue-haired boy was curled into himself, breathing labored as he tried to force himself to his feet. "Motherfucker."

"Sonic!" Shadow exclaimed, rolling onto his knees and reaching out to his fallen lover. "My god."

"Shadow?" Asked the other, voice hoarse and eyes wide on the teen whose arms were suddenly around him. "You're here-! How did you find me?" Sonic wrapped his arms around a leather-clad waist as well as he could with the restraining cuffs, burying his face into a tanned neck and inhaling the familiar scent. "We have to get out of here."

"Knuckles- I know. Can you get up? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sonic replied, forcing a smile that Shadow saw right through, even before the blue-haired boy's knees gave out when he tried to stand. He swatted away white-leather covered hands when they reached to steady him, using the other's shoulder as a support instead.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing-"

"Don't start, you faker. Not now. What's going on?" Shadow snapped, hands twitching as he fought the urge to reach out again, instead clamping his left hand down hard on his gun.

Sonic grimaced. "He kicked me in the ribs. I think one or two are cracked, but I can't tell without getting them checked. That, and my stomach is steadily eating its way to my spine and I feel like throwing up again."

"When was the last time you ate?" Shadow asked, giving up on holding back and wrapping on arm around Sonic's waist to try to help him walk.

"I don't know. How long have I been gone?" He frowned. "Hey, I can walk!"

"Almost two days."

"Then..." Sonic counted mentally. "A little more than a day. Seriously, let go!"

Shadow frowned, allowing Sonic to push his hands away. "Fine, but if you can't keep up, I'm going to help you."

Sonic waved his hand vaguely, and only then did Shadow notice the faint glint of steel in his waistband. "Where did you get that?"

"Jacked it. Come on, let's go! We're sitting ducks like this."

Shadow sighed, turning as he was commanded and swinging himself over the railing of the stairs, dropping to the landing below.

"I can't do that," Sonic grumbled, sliding down the thin and rusting railing. "Show off."

"Only you would be complaining about my skills during a re-kidnapping, idiot," Shadow sighed, checking the hallway to find Knuckles and Scourge gone. "We're clear. Hurry up before bullets start flying again."

"Aren't you going to tell the others?" Sonic replied, following Shadow into the hallway. "Don't be ditching my people, Shadow."

"I won't, but my priority is getting you out safe, okay? That's my job and I'm going to do it, no matter what it takes. Knuckles is leading the others, so they'll be fine."

After a long moment of silence, Shadow turned.

And found himself alone in the hallway.

"Sonic!" Skating back in the direction he'd come as fast as he could, he ducked though the intersection and rounded another curve, the hallways all blurring into one labyrinth that he couldn't quite follow. "What the fuck? _Sonic!_"

He skidded around one corner and then another, the lights steadily growing dimmer, though the lighting was really the last thing on his mind.

One more turn found him in the room he had entered from, but he did not like what he saw in the least.

Milo and Scourge stood over a group of captives, tied together- Shadow counted three. _Where are the others? Knuckles, Rouge, Blaze and Silver?_ The green-haired man had a vicious grin on his face, eyes glinting with the power he held over the lives of Cherry, Sarina and Hyou. The most chilling by far, however, were not the captives tied together.

Mephiles stood in the center of the room, eyes glowing just the way Shadow remembered when the landed on him- the promise of a sociopath barely hidden by overwhelming hunger. At his feet, Sonic was force to kneel, one of his brother's hands twisted painfully into blue locks, the other hand loosely holding a gun that tapped against a leather-clad thigh tin a rhythm hat was almost cheerful. A smirk was clearly visible through a thin cotton mask, splattered with both a dark, rusty brown and a chillingly vibrant red.

Crimson eyes widened.

Acid-green narrowed in sinister pleasure.

"Nice of you to join us, ototou."


	24. Not So Secrets & Obsession

**About fifteen minutes ago, my goal was to finish this fic in twenty five chapters. But then I realized that, to do that, I would need this chapter to be like twenty or more pages. And that just wasn't going to happen. Mostly because I'm getting to that point where my meds are wearing off so I can't do anything for more than a minute without ending up on Facebook with no idea how I go there, lmfao! I know, I really should have waited another hour to post this so I would have been less hyper. But, hey, more reviews for me! **

**Standard disclaimer applies.**

**And the not-so-metaphorical shit hits the fan. Epic Face Down, Take One. And... action!**

**

* * *

**

**Shadow:**** Let me just say-**

**Dei: No. **

**Shadow: *glares***

**Sonic: Umm... Dei?**

**Dei: *glares at Shadow* Yes, Sonic?**

**Sonic: Can I have an icepack?**

**Dei: Yes, Sonic.**

**Sonic: *gets icepack* And... Dei?**

**Dei: Yes, Sonic?**

**Sonic: Why are you glaring at Shadow?**

**Dei: We're fighting over the ending. Or, rather, how it's going to end, since I already know what happens.**

**Sonic: Oh... Dei?**

**Dei: Yes, Sonic?**

**Sonic: Should I be afraid?**

**Dei: Yes, Sonic.**

**Sonic: *hides behind Shadow***

**Shadow: I-**

**Dei: No.**

**

* * *

**

How had it ever gotten this out of hand?

"Sonic!" Shadow whispered, horrified. He took an involuntary step forward, instinct demanding that he protect his lover from harm. He froze when the gun, previously at Mephiles' side, was pressed to the blue-haired teen's temple.

His brother 'tsk'ed, lips curving upward. "No, no, little brother. That's not allowed." His eyes narrowed as he glanced at his captive, then gestured to Shadow with his gun. "Step back, please. Even _you_ must abide by the rules."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shadow snarled, his own pistol shaking in his hand, heart beating so rapidly in his chest that he could _feel_ it. "Let him go. He's no threat to you."

The man nearly snorted. "Like this? Oh, certainly not. But, should I let him go, who is to say that he won't still be poking around in family matters after he recovers? Much better than to sink that ship before it's sailed, is it not?" Mephiles' smirk grew, and he patted the blue-haired head almost affectionately. "Humane people euthanize violent animals, Shadow. It's for the greater good. To protect those that they care about."

Wide eyes watched the almost-imperceptible movement of Sonic's throat as he swallowed, but the boy's eyes remained defiant and unafraid. "Wow, blind _and_ stupid. Dunno where you got your smarts from, Shad."

It didn't take much more than that for all hell to break loose.

Faster than Shadow could process, Sonic was kicked over and face-down on the concrete, one of Mephiles' feet pressed hard onto the back of his exposed and vulnerable neck, gun pointed at the back of his head. The man's eyes flashed, livid, and Sonic groaned, breath hissing uneasily in and out of his damaged chest. Shadow's gun was pointed straight between his brother's eyes, though Mephiles hadn't seemed to have noticed yet.

"Don't you _dare_ speak to him so casually, you piece of filth," the green-and-black haired male hissed, digging his heel into the base of Sonic's neck. "You're not worthy of being the _dirt_ on his shoes."

"Stop it!" Shadow snarled, and two pairs of green eyes snapped to him. The tanned teen's teeth were bared body tense and scarlet gaze hateful. "That's enough. Don't you _dare_ hurt him."

Mephiles blinked in surprise before he let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Shadow, really-"

"Shut up!"

Sonic wasn't sure whether he should be proud or nervous about the level of hate in his boyfriend's voice. He knew that the time for retribution on whatever this man had done was long overdue, but he'd never quite expected this level of pure, raw emotion from the usually stoic teenager. He struggled to pull in another breath and focused on the pain in his chest and neck rather than the growing urge to comfort the livid boy.

Mephiles' acid-green eyes flashed when he protested indignantly, "He does not deserve you, ototou."

"And you do?" Shadow's hands shook with badly suppressed rage. "You are my brother, Mephiles. I am no longer a child, nor am I blind. I see the way you look at me. I know what you are thinking, because you have raised me to think the same way."

Sonic's mouth opened in surprised disgust at what the other implied, the concrete scraping his jaw.

"I distanced myself from you in the hopes that you would grow to forget about such things as family bonds," Mephiles hissed. "And I have carefully molded you to take the path of power, Shadow, just as I have and as our father did. He told me when I was very young that I would have to cross all the boundaries of life to truly reach my full potential, Shadow- the same goes for you. You have even more potential than I do to be great, little brother. I am merely here to guide you on your way." He gestured with his gun at Sonic. "He is not destined to be on that path with you. None of them were."

Shadow froze for a long moment before a growl erupted from his chest and he took a menacing step forward. "Where are the others, Mephiles? What have you done to them!"

Hesitance flashed in the man's eyes for a brief second before they were replaced with malice. Sonic, not having realized that the others weren't captured (probably because he couldn't exactly turn his head to check) , felt his heart stop.

"Ah, well..." The man smirked. "I figured it was about time to get rid of the vermin. Bats are such pests, after all."

"Rouge," Shadow breathed. His body went cold and he felt his knees go weak. "No..."

"Oh, and the redhead, too. He was in the middle of a firefight with Scourge, and I just so happened to stumble upon them from behind..."

"Motherfucker!" Sonic exclaimed, causing his windpipe to be pushed even harder into the floor. He could feel the bones in his neck starting to creak, and he feared what even a little more pressure would do to him. It was already hard enough to breathe.

"And you're next, little rat." The man chuckled softly, pressing his toe _hard_ into Sonic's neck.

"I swear to god, I will fucking shoot you if you don't move your goddamned foot _right now," _Shadow said, eyes flashing.

"You wouldn't dare, little brother. I _made_ you."

Shadow's grin was something vicious and terrifying as he shot off one round into the wall behind Mephiles' head. "Do I look like I'm fucking kidding?"

Green eyes with slitted pupils narrowed, and the man let up just enough pressure on Sonic's neck that he could gasp in a breath, mind still reeling from both the lack of oxygen and terrible information. "It seems that I've done something right, after all. You have become the fighter I had always dreamed you would be. Unfortunately, you are not supposed to be aiming that little plaything at _me._"

"This _little plaything_ will blow your head off, Mephiles. I'm so sick of watching and waiting, wondering when you're coming back. I'm not waiting to hear about any more murders- not in Sonic's city, or in any other."

The man's fist clenched. "Brave words, Shadow. But you've always been weak. Do you truly have the resolve to kill the only person left in your family? The one that kept an eye on you and looked out for you? I have done more for you than you will ever know."

Shadow snorted. "Name _one_ good thing that you've ever done for me, Mephiles. Go on, I dare you."

The man frowned, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"Well, for one thing, I got rid of that annoying little blonde..."

All was silent.

Shadow squeezed his eyes shut and he swore he felt his heart stop. All feeling died in his limbs and all the reason in his life was sucked away, inward and compressed to a tiny black pinprick with all the density of a black hole. In that moment, his heart knew his love and his mind knew no logic- what had started as rage was compacted into churning, all-consuming, complete and utter _hate._

He was cold, lifeless. The strings that had once controlled him, the ones that had let Mephiles direct him, snapped and rotted and faded into nothing.

Everything he had ever known had been a lie.

And he said in a tone of absolute zero, "You are going to die today."

* * *

_Mephiles sat atop the roof of a tall building, Scourge at his side and a blue-eyed blonde hybrid peering over the ledge into the empty street._

_Below, Shadow stood beside Rouge and those fools Julian and Agen Kintobor, facing off opposite the Black Arms. _

_Mephiles scowled- all was going according to plan, of course. The Black Arms thought they would be getting his little brother and Shadow would have the chance to get rid of them. Giving his little brother the gun had been one of his best decisions to date._

_However, setting Black Doom's sets on Shadow was one of his greatest failures._

_The man was simply vile, that was certain- but what could be expected of a drug lord and crime boss?He believed Mephiles owed him a debt for getting him the papers to get his brother into Mobius, so Mephiles had promised him Shadow. Little did the fool of a man realize that Shadow was just like a young Mephiles- easily molded while he was fresh, but a completely different being in his core. _

_Mephiles planned to mold the boy into a fine work of art._

_He'd carefully constructed him over the years into his likeness- the shoes, the bracelets, the parkour to make him nimble and the weapon to be an assassin. He had the potential, that was for sure, but he had not yet killed. _

_That final step was absolutely necessary for his development._

_So Mephiles had devised a plan to force the boy to kill. He'd never expected Black Doom to be so repulsive, but he'd been pleased to see Shadow quickly take notice of the man's fixation and completely deny it. However, he lacked the desire to get rid of the man in his entirety._

_Mephiles would make sure that, one way or another, Shadow killed tonight._

_He watched as Agen forced him forward to make a trade with that terrible boy, Doom's Eye. He snorted- the man was as conceited as he was ignorant. And froze- as he realized that the barrel of that little slime ball's gun was pressed directly between his brother's eyes._

_Mephiles snarled quietly, eyes flashing in the dark, and the blonde boy took a step back, fearful for his safety. Scourge, actually quiet for once, just smirked and watched as his usually composed leader lost his cool. It wasn't so often that he got such first-rate entertainment._

"_That double-crossing bastard," Mephiles hissed. "Oh, if only he knew I was watching. He would never dare to threaten him. Does he really believe himself to be so superior that he's out of my reach?" He drew his gun, cocking it and aiming for the boy's head. He truly hated to blow his cover, but sacrifices had to be made._

_And none of those sacrifices were named 'Shadow'._

"_Wait, Boss," Scourge said. _

"_What?" Mephiles hissed._

_The green-haired man simply pointed up the road, easily visible from where they were perched. A blonde girl crept quietly along the sidewalk, steadily approaching the crest of the small hill._

_Mephiles recognized the girl- he'd seen shadow with her a few times during school. He tensed, but waited. Perhaps her appearance could work to his advantage._

_Murmured voices down below that he didn't bother listening to- and he didn't need to, as all hell broke loose._

"_Had us followed, Shadow? I'm so disappointed."_

"_No! I don't know why she's here. I didn't do this."_

"_And if I were to believe you, what would be in it for me? I could always kill the girl, but I'm getting the idea that you wouldn't like that very much."_

_Mephiles' eyes narrowed._ _"That manipulating son of a bitch. Not _my_ brother."_

"_No, please. Leave Maria alone. I'll do anything."_

_Mephiles swallowed down the anger that churned in his gut. Was it possible that his brother... _cared_ for that girl? She was nothing more than a weak little mouse! What could he possibly want with such a creature?_

"_I'm listening."_

"_I'll serve you for a year. I'll join the Black Arms. Anything you want, just please, let her go. Please."_

_Oh, no, no, no. That was unacceptable. By _no_ means was Shadow allowed to join that sorry excuse for a gang. He was going to have to shoot Black Doom. That's all there was to it. He leveled his gun._

"_You must really love her," the man chuckled. "To volunteer yourself like this after so long of denying my offers. Very well, Shadow-"_

_It didn't take any more than the tensing of his brother's shoulders and the blush visible even from the roof after the word 'love' associated with that _thing_ to make Mephiles change the direction of his aim._

_He fired, and, like always, he didn't miss._

_It didn't take any more than a second after that for his little brother's eyes to go cold as he shot the men like cattle. That mindless blank faded from his eyes and he dropped the gun, and he ran to the girl's side._

_Oh, his plan had worked after all. Mephiles very nearly smiled at that- Shadow had killed, the Black Arms were dead and the insignificant girl would be dead within a few minutes. She had been sick, hadn't she? _

_Mephiles shook his head. It didn't matter- he'd likely struck something painful and vital, and if not, it was close. He crossed his arms and watched as his brother dropped to his knees, grabbing the girl's hand and being quickly soaked with her blood._

_What a morbid, beautiful picture they made. _

_Mephiles _did_ smile then, though it was cruel and satisfied and not at all pleasant. She wouldn't survive- he had no doubt. And Shadow, well... he would forget about her and move on to better things._

_Humans were so very useless, after all._

_

* * *

_

Mephiles smirked, not having heard the change in Shadow's voice. "Ah, you're angry. That's really too bad, Shadow- her death has brought you to be the person you are today-"

"You are not to speak of Maria," Shadow cut in, opening his scarlet eyes to reveal something even Mephiles could not have foreseen- eyes blank, emotionless and dead. The eyes of a creature who had been killed where he stood, and his body had not quite caught up yet. "Ever. That is against the rules, as you would say."

The teen took a step forward, and glowing green eyes flashed with uncertainty as he pointed his gun at the back of Sonic's head. "Now, Shadow-"

He cut himself off when the boy turned his eyes to his captive. Sonic stared at him hard from his position on the floor, cheek scratched and bleeding, searching for any sign of something he could recognize in Shadow. But, truly, he'd never seen anything like this before.

Crimson eyes met emerald green and Shadow said simply, "I'm sorry."

There was no emotion in his voice.

Sonic closed his eyes. Desperate words bubbled up from somewhere deep in his broken and bruised chest, but he clenched his teeth to keep them back. Now was not the time. Instead, he said, opening his eyes, "Do what you promised yourself, and take pleasure in every moment of it."

Something flashed in Shadow's gaze then- recognition and resolve. "I will."

Mephiles leveled his gun about the same time as Shadow crashed into him, sending their weapons sprawling to the floor and skidding across the room. Sonic pushed himself up as best he could, dragging himself out of the way. Scourge took a step toward the weapons before he decided better of it, glancing at their bashed-up (former?) captive, who shook his head slightly. Swallowing, he motioned with his gun for their other captives to stand, keeping them at gunpoint but herding them out of the room. Milo went to Sonic's side, helping the bruised teen to walk.

"What happened to Knuckles?" Sonic asked quietly when they were out of range of the viciously fighting brothers. "Is he really...?"

Scourge, who turned to walk backwards, shook is head. "Mephiles seemed to think so, but I know the sound of Kevlar when I hear it, y'know? He might be a little bruised and bloodied, but I doubt he's in any serious danger."

"And Rouge?"

"He shot _at_ her, but I don't think he actually hit her. They should be somewhere around here- if ya can walk, you should look for 'em." The green-haired man frowned. "That boy of yours... he's a scary bastard. I mean, I was there when that girl, you know... when she died. He was a wreck. I never thought that he would turn out to be like that, though."

"He's not..." Sonic sighed, and let it go. He didn't know exactly _where _they stood now, but yes, Shadow _was_ technically his. "You're letting me go?"

Scourge shrugged lightly. "Meph isn't the kindest bastard- even less the past few weeks. I tagged along in the beginnin' because it was convenient, but..." The man swallowed and winced a little, exchanging a look with Milo. "This is gettin' out of hand, even for a street rat like me." Scourge frowned. "No hard feelings, right? I can be a real pain in the ass, but it's usually on orders."

Sonic shrugged. "As long as you don't try any dirty tricks, I don't care. What happens to you after, I have no idea- Espio got your name, but he never got Milo's. You might have to make a run for it."

"It wouldn't be the first time," the older hybrid replied with a grin. "I could use some real adventure. Beatin' on you was the best time I'd had in weeks. A guy like me ain't meant for stealth."

A grin tugged at Sonic's mouth, but he really wasn't in the mood for smiling. He held out a hand. "Give me your guns. You'll have to let Cherry lead you around at gunpoint for a bit, but she won't hurt you. It's just a precaution- Knuckles gets pissed off when he's shot at."

Scourge hesitated for a moment before he shrugged, handing over the gun and untying the three captives. Cherry grinned and pulled out his pistol, taking him and an unarmed Milo and leading them forward, Hyou bouncing his way to Sonic to help him walk.

"Turn here," Scourge ordered after a moment. "This is where I left them."

The hall was silent but littered with large debris and some red droplets. Sonic frowned.

"Hey, are you guys there? Where the fuck did you go?"

One head on red hair popped up over a crate, accompanied by a gun. "Oh- Sonic. Fuck, man, what the hell?"

Even knowing that he was alright, seeing Knuckles made Sonic feel almost instantly better. "I know. Shadow and mephiles are fighting it out somewhere right now. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, everyone's over here." The redhead waved him over, and Cherry led them down the wall to a strange fort-like stack of crates. His eyes followed Scourge as he walked until he was seated across the wall behind a crate of his own, Cherry's gun pointed at him.

"You shot at me," Knuckles grumbled.

"You shot at me, too, Red," Scourge reminded him with a half-grin. "I did it on orders, though. No hard feelings- I'm so over this shit."

Knuckles rolled his eyes, turning them to Milo. He frowned heavily. "Is that-?"

"This is Milo," Sonic said, patting the captive boy on the head lightly before he sat next to Scourge. "From what I can figure, he's Tails' brother. He's a decent kid, just in with the wrong crowd."

Silver and Blaze glanced around from their makeshift hideout, double-taking when they saw the boy, but adjusting to the situation fairly well before giving small waves 'hello'. Milo frowned and crossed his arms, but Sonic could tell that he was pleased at being treated like a person rather than an animal like Mephiles usually did.

"Where's Rouge?" Sonic asked. "She's okay, right? Mephiles-"

"She's fine," Knuckles replied, face softening slightly. "She's asleep. He caught her in the arm, and I don't think she'd ever been hit before. We got the bullet out and sanitized it and all, but that shit is exhausting and I let her pass out for a little while. We've all been looking practically non-stop to find you. Shadow is a slavedriver."

At the mention of his lover, Sonic's face fell slightly and he looked over his shoulder in the direction that he came fro, chewing on his scratched and swollen lip.

"What happened?" Knuckles asked, correctly interpreting Sonic's look, just like he always did.

"They were hand-to-hand when I left, but... Shadow's pretty much dead to the world right now. He found out that his brother killed that girl Maria- which I knew she was dead, but-"

"Wait," the redhead exclaimed. "That son of a bitch killed her? That's some heavy shit, man. No wonder he's going nuts."

"I never got the full story," Sonic sighed, frowning. "And if I don't help him, I might never get it. I have to go back."

"Are you fucking kidding me, Blue?" Scourge exclaimed incredulously. "This is between them. And, if Mephiles _does_ win, do you really want to be anywhere near him? Let me just say that there ain't _hell_ no way that he'd kill his brother. Nu-uh. He'd lock him up before he did that. But he'd have no problem flaying you alive."

Knuckles frowned and met Sonic's eyes. "Maria was Shadow's Tikal."

Sonic's face fell to the point of devastation. "I shouldn't have left him. I wasn't sure what happened, but he has to be going crazy inside- Knuckles, you have to help me. Did you bring my gun?"

Knuckles nodded, reaching over to a backpack concealed behind a crate and pulling out Sonic's gun and a Kevlar vest. "Here-"

"There's no time for the vest. He could be dead already- help me!"

The redhead didn't bother fighting with the almost-panicking hybrid as they fell into a practiced and synchronized pace that they'd developed from all the times Sonic had been injured in the past, especially when he was recovering. Blaze and Silver stayed behind with Rouge, and Cherry, Sarina and Hyou kept watch over the others.

_I never should have left,_ Sonic thought as he headed back. His heart clenched when the image of a beaten and bloody Shadow flashed before his eyes.

_I hope I make it in time!_


	25. Panic & Chaos

**MWAHAHAHAHA! **

**Because a normal entrance for this chapter just wouldn't cut it. 'Nuff said.**

**Standard disclaimer applies. Translated lyrics come from AnimeLyrics dot com. Milo's intelligence comes from Wikipedia and other research.

* * *

**

**Shadow: I'm absolutely positive that they're going to kill you for this one. You won't get away with this, Dei.**

**Dei: Yeah... I'm a little worried about that myself. FSM knows what they'll do to me next chapter... *shifty eyes***

**Sonic: No spoilers. Even though _you_ deserve to be shot, you shouldn't ruin the story for _them._ Those sick bastards.**

**Mephiles: *rolls eyes and crosses arms* Dei would like to beg for enough reviews to have her hit the one hundred mark before she leaves on 8/28. Unfortunately, she's too afraid that she won't get any more after you read this chapter.**

**Dei: And with good reason! *dives behind Mephy* **

**Shadow: Dei! What the hell is he doing here?**

**Sonic: *hides behind Shadow***

**Dei: It's my dramatic chapter! I'll do what I want! D: **

**Mephiles: *shakes head* I'm only crazy when she makes me...**

**Dei: Hedgenip. X3 Works like a charm.**

**Ulquiorra: Just get on with it, woman.**

**Dei: ...what the hell are you doing here?**

**Orihime: *grabs* Sorry! DX**

**Mephiles: *headdesk*

* * *

**

There was nothing left for him to feel. Of that much, Shadow was absolutely certain.

He didn't want to feel anything but blood on his hands.

The others in the room didn't matter. They were not in his sights, and he fully intended to do enough damage to Mephiles that he would have nothing to do with them, either. There was no doubt in his mind that one of them would die today. He didn't have the heart to hope that it wasn't him.

He threw himself at his brother, taking him by surprise and knocking their weapons to the floor. Mephiles landed _hard_ on his back, the breath knocked out of him, but Shadow didn't have the mercy to let him recover.

He knew much better than to hesitate.

His fist connected solidly with his brother's face. And then again. And again.

Mephiles was not pleased.

The man hissed and shoved Shadow hard, knocking him off-balance and using Shadow's weight against him, rolling them over and pinning the younger's legs with his knees, wrists held securely to the floor. Though he was angry, interest and amusement was clear in his eyes, which narrowed as he smirked.

It didn't last long.

Shadow's eyes were as piercing as they were cold, and any of the love and worry that may or may not have once been there was gone. He no longer saw Mephiles as family- no longer saw him as a person, the way that Mephiles had looked at Shadow all this time while looking down on everyone else.

Shadow had turned away, his heart being ripped out in the process, and Mephiles was alone.

"After everything I've done for you," the man hissed, smile fading and gaze filled with bitterness. "This is how you're going to repay me? You would have nothing without me, Shadow. _Nothing._ You'd be wandering the streets alone in our homeland, and you would be no better than any of the other worthless creatures who grew up there."

"I was born on the streets," Shadow replied evenly, body winding with tension as his eyes narrowed. "And, when I arrived at Mobius, that was where I grew up. I may share your blood, but I made my own family. That family did not and _does_ not include _you._"

"Family?" Mephiles exclaimed. "For people like us, there is no such thing as family. We hunt and kill. We are solitary, and we do not associate with anyone. That is our life."

"Then why do you still try to stay?" A cold laugh escaped Shadow, and he reversed their positions yet again, his hands resting loosely around his brother's throat. "If we are solitary, then why do you insist on being with me? Why do you have Scourge and Milo, if we are solitary? Why were you too afraid to act alone?" His hands tightened, putting pressure on Mephiles' airway. The man glared hard at his brother, but fear was slowly making itself known. "Why did you take me from Japan, if you wanted to be alone? Why were you worried about me at all? If you truly longed for solitude, you would have left me to die. You _lie_, Mephiles. You _lie_ and you _cheat_ and _steal_ and _kill._ You are a _coward_ as much as you are a liar." Shadow bared his teeth. "And I _hate_ liars."

"I may not have been there, but I still raised you," Mephiles hissed. "I directed every step of your life. I was responsible for you coming to this country, responsible for you finding the Kintobors. I orchestrated everything from your first step to your first kill. You owe me your _life._ Don't you think you should be a little more grateful?"

He brought his knee up into Shadow's stomach and pushed him away. His hand dove into his pocket, and with a _click-woosh_ and a flash of silver, there was a knife in his hand. Shadow clutched at his stomach as he collapsed to his knees, fighting the urge to vomit. Mephiles stalked forward.

"It's true, ototou. I could have left you to die, but I saw something in you that I couldn't bring myself to leave behind. I was weak and I was young- too young to take care of you. I did everything I could to make sure that you survived." The man swallowed, hands clenching. "I did things that you can not even imagine, little brother. And I did it all for _you._ You can not possibly understand the pain of doing _everything_ to protect someone you care about. Even now, I'm protecting you from having to go through what I did." Mephiles took in a shuddering breath and exhaled, staring at the boy who he had watched grow as he looked up at him, eyes filled with pain and confusion and anger.

He could not possibly understand. And that was why Mephiles had to stay.

"You deserve more than this life, Shadow. But only if you stay can I give it to you."

The knife shook in his hand, and Shadow curled into himself. Thoughts raced in his mind, but one pushed its way forward and could not be ignored.

"I would have been happier, Nii-san, growing up on the streets in Japan and you with me, than the life I have led thus far."

Mephiles swallowed. "Well, Shadow," he replied. His voice shook slightly and his eyes darkened, knowing Shadow's words for what they were- a rejection of his efforts. All his work, wasted and cast aside. "That's just not how it went."

He stepped forward.

* * *

When they arrived outside the room, Sonic stopped Knuckles from entering.

"What?" Knuckles whispered.

"Go back," Sonic replied.

"What?" The redhead exclaimed. "I can't leave you-"

"You _have _to," the blue-haired boy replied. "The others need you. And... whatever is going on in there is between us three. I caused this, and I won't let anyone else get hurt."

"But-"

"Knuckles," Sonic cut in, staring at his best friend. "Let me do this. Please."

The echidna-hybrid stared at the other for a long moment before he nodded, turning to go back the way he came- back to the others.

Sonic sighed and turned- the time for this to be done was long gone.

As he entered the room, he took in several things quickly.

One- Shadow was on his knees, curled into himself. Two- Mephiles was stalking forward, a knife in hand. Three- the guns were still on the floor across the room. And four- Mephiles turned to him, a blank look on his face before his eyes brightened and anger took hold.

"You," he hissed at Sonic. "This is all _your_ fault."

Faster than anyone could react, Mephiles had whirled around to grab his gun and had it pointed straight at Sonic. His eyes were wild and certainly crazy, and for the first time, Sonic wondered if he shouldn't have just taken the others and left. _I'm fucked._

"I didn't-" Sonic started.

"_Silence!_" Mephiles shouted. "You are not to speak again. I promised you would submit, did I not? You will pay for everything, now."

Sonic swallowed, looking to Shadow with wide, nervous eyes. And, from what Sonic saw, Shadow was just as surprised and confused as he was.

"Mephiles-" Shadow exclaimed, but was cut off.

"I apologize, baby brother," the man replied, scowling at the blue-haired teen. "I failed to realize that this was not your fault. I've miscalculated again- how silly of me. When this one is out of the way, perhaps then you will realize."

"No," Shadow said softly, staring at Sonic like he had that day in the hallway- alarmed and almost terrified. It was the first real expression of emotion that Sonic had seen from him. "No, Mephiles, this is between you and me!"

"And _he_ wormed his way into it," the elder growled. "He should have known better than to meddle in the affairs of brothers, don't you think?"

"Please-" Shadow started, but when he was cut off, it was not by his brother.

"Don't beg, Shadow," Sonic said firmly. "If he really wants me to die, well, at least I'll _know_ that it was coming." He glared at Mephiles. "There are so many things that I wish I could say to you. Unfortunately, our lives aren't long enough to get it all out."

"Oh, by all means, feel free to try," Mephiles replied, a slow smirk spreading across his face, eyes full of malice. "I'm a fan of famous last words, after all. It would be interesting to see what _yours_ would be- all I've gotten out of the people here were 'why are you doing this?' and 'please, no!'. So pathetic."

Sonic narrowed his eyes, green boring into green as they glared at each other. "The only pathetic one here is you. Shadow is your brother! How could you treat him like this? Keeping him away from people, interfering with his life- you don't treat him like a person at all. You treat him like an animal, and he will only ever _hate_ you for that."

Oh, Sonic was on a roll now. Shadow's mouth opened slightly in surprise, but he was also flooded with anxiety- one wrong word, and Sonic would be dead.

Mephiles blinked and glared harder at the blue-haired boy. "You don't know a thing-"

"Oh, I think you'd be surprised at what I know," Sonic snarled. "I know how he feels. Did _you_ ever think about what Maria's death would do to him? Hm? Did you?" Sonic's scarred hand fists tightly and shook. "You've never lost anyone you cared about, so how would _you_ know how he feels? Do you even care about anyone? If you loved Shadow, you wouldn't torture him the way you have!"

"That's enough!" Mephiles exclaimed.

"No, it's not enough!" Sonic yelled back. Fingernails dug into his palms until they bled, ruby-red droplets dripping through his fingers. Sonic looked to Shadow, eyes both desperate and warning before he turned back to Mephiles, and all traces of those emotions were gone. "If you loved him, you shouldn't have left him, don't you think? Did you honestly believe that in the time you were gone, he wouldn't find someone else?"

"Sonic," Shadow whispered, eyes widening. _Oh, god, please don't. Please, just stop._

Mephiles bared his teeth. "The fault was not his own. He did not have a choice."

"Oh, he had a choice," Sonic replied, a vicious and victorious smile overtaking his face. "He had a huge choice in the matter. It's such a shame that you weren't there for him more, Mephiles- but don't worry, because I was there even when _you_ weren't."

"What are you trying to say?" Acid-green eyes were steadily narrowing as crimson widened.

"Sonic, don't!" Shadow exclaimed. "Stop. Please. He'll kill you."

Sonic tilted his head, considering his lover carefully before that smile was back, albeit a bit softer. "I already told you that I didn't mind dying, Shad. If it's for you, then you know that I'd go gladly. And I'm not going to hide it- it's done, and I'm happy." The blue-haired teen smiled wryly. "Though, I suppose I should have asked for your dear older brother's blessing, first."

Shadow let out a sound that was somewhere between a dry sob and a bitter laugh. His eyes connected with Sonic's the way they had the night of the Homecoming, and though it had never been said aloud, Sonic knew that he was doing the right thing.

Slitted pupils contracted. "You-"

Sonic smiled, but only a little. "Shadow will never love you," he said quietly, gaze still connected with Shadow's. "His heart is mine, and mine is his. He is my mate, and even if I die, there will never be another." Sonic licked his lips, clenching his eyes closed for a moment before he looked back at Mephiles, who was visibly shaking. "You're too late, Mephiles."

And Sonic didn't have to see him pull the trigger to know what was coming.

* * *

He didn't see it in slow-motion, like the movies said. No, Shadow saw it all in real time at 1080 HD.

And this time, he didn't get the benefit of his emotions leaving him behind.

"Sonic!" He exclaimed, scrambling to his feet. A shot embedded itself in the concrete next to where his body just was, but Shadow didn't care about that. Though it _did_ change his priorities a bit.

Shadow lunged for his gun, grabbing it as he moved into a somersault, taking a vague sort of aim and firing. He heard his brother's groan as it caught him and the clatter of his gun falling to the floor. He used his momentum to bring him into a stand, taking a step and kicking it away from where the man lay, then kicking him in the side for good measure. The bullet had caught him in the abdomen- the wound probably wouldn't be fatal.

Shadow had a brief inner war- would he rather let the man rot in a cell or see him dead? It didn't really take much thought, but it was enough to let Mephiles speak.

"Shadow, you ruined everything," he hissed, hand pressed over the bullet hole, pressing hard to attempt to staunch the bleeding. "You betrayed me. I loved you."

"Not enough," Shadow snarled. "Never enough. It would never compare. And _I_ betrayed _you?_" He bared his teeth, tears stinging at his eyes. "No, Mephiles. I merely played the game by the rules, and you did not."

The man let out a pained, bitter laugh. "But I _won_, Shadow."

Scarlet eyes narrowed and he leveled the gun to his brother's forehead. "_Winning doesn't mean shit if you get disqualified at the finish line."_

He took the shot, wincing as he was splattered with foreign blood. He dropped the gun that had been a gift onto his brother's unmoving chest before he ran to Sonic, skidding on his knees in an all-too familiar way.

"Sonic," he said softly, voice cracking.

Green eyes fluttered open and the blue-haired hybrid forced a tiny smile. "Hey, Shad."

"You idiot!" The dark-haired boy exclaimed, lips trembling as he leaned over to grab Sonic, shifting so he could sit with the younger's head in his lap. He didn't bother calling for the others- he knew they must have heard the shot, with the way the place echoed.

Sonic reached up with a smile, hissing as it jostled his twice-punctured torso, and gently wiped the blood from Shadow's face with the back of his hand. "I couldn't let him win, Shadow," he said, answering the unasked question. "You might not be my mate, but... maybe someday you could have been. You know, if you wanted to be." He coughed slightly, turning his head away as blood stained his lips.

"Idiot," Shadow replied, leaning over to press his forehead to Sonic's, ignoring the harsh metallic smell of blood. Then, softer, he said, "Of course I want to. I still will be. The others heard- they're coming. Just..."

Sonic laughed again, though it was a sickening, wet sound. "It doesn't hurt that bad."

"Shut up, Faker," the elder replied with a tiny laugh-sob. "Stop talking. You're going to be fine, but it will get worse if you talk."

Sonic frowned, gently stroking his thumb over a tan cheek, damp with blood and the tears that were starting to fall. They both knew it wasn't true- even with an injury that wasn't this serious, he would never make it out through the tunnels. He couldn't even stand, let alone _walk_, if he wanted to.

Sonic tried to move, but found himself unable to do so, whining softly at the pain, ears lowering to his skull. Shadow wordlessly twined their hands together, leaving one free with which to play with Sonic's hair. He glanced at where their hands connected- smooth, tan skin contrasted against pale, marred with a pink-and-red scar. He squeezed the younger's hand lightly, shuddering as a fresh round of tears made him want to cry to hard that he would be sick.

Sonic sighed softly, shallowly, looking up and meeting Shadow's tear-wet eyes. "I love you. You know that, right?"

Shadow nodded, another quiet sob forcing its way out as he nuzzled Sonic's cheek. "Yes, and I love you, as well. So very much."

"I know," Sonic whispered, smiling a little and turning to carefully press his lips to Shadow's, chaste and longing and sad. "I've known since Homecoming. Do you know-" he coughed a bit, eyes squeezing shut in pain. Shadow pushed blue bangs away from his face- "That I've loved you since that night? The one when you were playing guitar."

Shadow laughed quietly. "I lied when I said I didn't know what that song was about, you know."

"I know," Shadow replied. "Rouge told me once that you're from Japan. I figured that you would probably know."

"Do you want to know what it said?"

Sonic nodded a little. "Yeah. I've been wondering about it for weeks."

"Falling in love, saying goodbye, with a vow that this is the last heartbreak, even the cherry tree, swaying in the wind, will eventually blossom," Shadow started. "The summer rain that started to fall gently streaked past my tears. Images that resemble memories- autumn's drama reruns. Why have I suffered almost the same blows such countless times? But, even so, I'll probably fight again. That is one of life's mysteries.

"Falling in love, giving it everything, with a wish that this is the last heartbreak, even the cherry tree, swaying through time, will eventually blossom. In the revolving seasons, my shoes are wearing out more and more. Release the tension in your shoulders so you can seal away the past somewhere. From here, they're probably not too far- sceneries you haven't even seen.

"I want to overcome the ceaseless pain in my chest and become closer to you. I have wandered once and returned, always reaching for the blue sky.

"Falling in love, saying goodbye- with a vow that today's the first good day, everything, even the cherry tree swaying in the wind, gently reaches out to you. I love you-" he paused, sniffling- "I love you, it can't be helped, but it has nothing to do with this."

Sonic smiled and reached out to Shadow again, carefully pulling him down to press their lips together once more before pulling away. "It's a beautiful song. And terribly ironic."

Shadow snorted softly, playing with blue hair. "I know."

* * *

Footsteps- alarmed shouting was only a few seconds early before the others burst into the room, some with guns in hand. Knuckles, Rouge, Silver and Blaze recognized the situation first, crowding around their fallen leader. Milo came over after, Scourge carefully trailing behind. Cherry hung back, for once unsure about what to do as Sarina inspected Mephiles to be sure of his death and Hyou poked at the body.

"What happened?" Knuckles asked.

"Sonic decided to be a smart ass and got himself shot," Shadow replied, laughing and crying at the same time. From the look on their faces, they knew as well as he did that Sonic would very likely not even make it out of the building alive.

"Mephiles?" Rouge asked, her eyes the only ones that were not focused on Sonic and entirely on Shadow.

"Dead."

Blaze stared at Sonic, her eyes large and sad as Silver reached out to carefully pat Sonic's shoulder. Knuckles stared at his friend, who smiled a little at him, despite the blood staining his lips- and Shadow's. "I did what I had to. I don't regret that."

Knuckles nodded as Milo muscled his way through the crowd of significantly larger and stronger bodies, backpack in hand. "Can you guys friggin' _move?_ I might be able to help!"

"What could you do?" Knuckles retorted, glaring at the blonde boy. "You're just a kid."

"So is Tails," Sonic reminded his friend.

Knuckles stared at the kid for a moment before he sighed, shifting for him to make room.

"How long have you been down?" he asked, voice transitioning into a serious tone that Sonic recognized as Tails' no-nonsense voice.

"Five to ten minutes," Shadow answered, glaring at Sonic in a warning not to speak. "Shot twice in the torso."

"Do you have anything to put pressure on the wounds and stop the bleeding?" The blonde asked, frowning and digging through his backpack, but for what was yet to be seen.

Shadow didn't bother to answer, pulling off his leather jacket and tossing it to the side, then pulling his shirt over his head. The cold air assaulted his skin, and he shivered a little, but, at this moment, he couldn't bring himself to care.

"That will do. Now, put him flat on the ground and press that against the wounds with as much pressure as he can stand."

Shadow nodded, Knuckles helping him to carefully move Sonic's head back to the floor and bunching up the shirt, leaning over close to Sonic. "Are you ready?"

Sonic carefully moved so he could take the collar of his own bloodstained shirt into his mouth, clenching it tightly between his teeth and nodded.

He groaned in pain when Shadow pushed sharply downwards, his eyes clenching shut for a moment before Milo made a small noise of victory and pulled out a zip-locked bag with a small capsule inside.

"What is that?" Knuckles asked.

"I've been working on it for a few months, just in case Mephiles ever _did_ try to kill me. Taking this will induce clinical death for about an hour, give-or-take a few minutes." He gazed at Sonic, unusually solemn. "This can buy us time, but I've never tested it, and it's very likely that the lack of oxygen to the brain will result in subsequent damage to the hippocampus and neurons if it takes any longer than the time we have allotted. It's dangerous, but without it, I'm certain that you'll die."

Sonic's mouth quirked upward into a smile that no one could quite explain before he nodded, releasing the sleeve from his mouth.

"Alright, then," Milo replied. "Knuckles, take over with the pressure. Shadow, reach in my bag and get the water bottle that's in there. The pill will take about a minute to activate- it should be like falling asleep."

Sonic nodded again, and Shadow glanced at Knuckles, who took over applying pressure when he turned, rooting through the bog to find the water bottle. Sonic took the pill that Milo offered, but instead of waiting for the water, he dry-swallowed it, knowing that nothing could taste worse than the blood that was already in his mouth.

He felt it start working almost immediately- he felt slow, sluggish, almost as if he were drunk and his body wasn't quite matching up to his mind. His vision blurred, and then focused. His eyes widened.

Because there, written in ink between Shadow's shoulder blades was the word _Chaos._

He wondered if this was how others felt before they died- that sense of enlightenment, of complete understanding, but not having enough time to explain it all to the living.

_Chaos is power, power enriched my the heart. The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos... remember that, if nothing else._

Union. Chaos.

_Unified Chaos._

Sonic's vision blurred again. "Tikal... is that what you meant?"

A red-haired blue turned to him, asking something that his brain couldn't quite process. It came out jumbled, but Sonic's mind was still clear, though everything else was quickly shutting down.

"Shadow," Sonic started.

Somehow the soft, "_Yes?_" made it through the haze.

"I was right."

And he faded.

* * *

_"Everything happens for a reason."_

_Shadow turned, pulling his legs up and balancing cross-legged on the thin metal bench. "How can you be so optimistic?"_

_Sonic shrugged again, not bothering to open his eyes, but voice much more serene than it was a moment ago. It was almost… Zen. "I think it's realistic to believe that everything influences other parts of life. So, in theory, it's true. Everything that happens, it happens because of something else, whether it's someone else's decision or your own. I don't think there's any such thing as chance."_

_ Shadow frowned. "So you think my injuring you was fate?"_

_ Sonic cracked open one eye and grinned toward the other boy. "Yeah, I suppose so."_

_ Red eyes widened slightly. "You're crazy. There's no such thing as fate or destiny. Life is just a series of random occurrences."_

_ "You think that it's a coincidence that we are completely alike and yet complete opposites?" Sonic asked, sitting up straight. "Think about it. We have everything in common, but yet we're almost completely different. How can you deny that it's something more than spontaneous events?"_

_ Shadow swallowed. "What do you mean?"_

_ Sonic frowned, frustrated. "We look almost exactly alike. Are you trying to tell me that it's just coincidence?"_

_ "Yes," Shadow answered. "Some people look alike. Some don't."_

_ "I'm not talking about some people," Sonic growled. "What about us? That's what I want to know."

* * *

_

_ Hey, Shadow. I get it now._


	26. Hellos & Goodbyes

**This is not the last chapter! Seriously, it isn't. Well, technically it is, since the next chapter will be an epilogue, but you get the idea. There will be one more section after this, and I don't know how long it will take me to get out, since I' not entirely certain of what needs to be in it. Either way, it will be out before I leave on 8/28. You can be sure of that, kids!**

**Standard disclaimer applies. I don't own the Sonic kids, but I do own the B&B-Verse and my OCs that were never intended to be here, but wormed their way in. However, if you feel the need to write a one-shot or something of the like in this verse, ask me! I may take a while to get back to you, but I'll probably go for it. Just ask for permission and let me know what you've got when you're done! And, of course, give credit to me for the original fic. I've poured many, many hours into this story and it will always hold a place in my heart as my first-ever completed multi-chapter fic.**

**^ This is a big deal, kids. I've never finished anything until this year, and it started with hockey. I forced myself to stay, and at the end of the season, everyone on the team was just as surprised as I was, since I'd never played before and sucked hardcore when I first arrived. After that, I took a few months to finish school and started Driver's Ed. This fic came about mostly during Driver's Ed class (Don't tell my teacher, he thought I was taking notes). I got my license and am now _so_ close to finishing this beast that I can taste it. But as happy as I will be to finish it, I know that I'll be sad, for sure. I love these boys. They have grown on me ever since this idea spawned itself in my mind, and now they're like my gay friends that I play faghag and counselor for. It's the best relationship that I could ever ask for! :) *is such a dweeb***

**And to you, my readers and reviewers. I would have NEVER made it this far without you guys. Seriously, you don't know how many times I've had some serious writer's block and got a good review or message and found the will to write again. You guys are my heroes, and I will forever brag about you on Facebook as my best group ever. I love each and every one of you, even if you've never left me a review. If you read this, I love you. It means the world that you take time out of your day to read my hyperactive ramblings and comb through my 2AM typos. You guys are the best, always will be. *glomp***

_**(Oh, and to all of you who threatened me if I killed Sonic. I love you, too! Even if you hate me.)**_

**Anyway, here you go! Chapter twenty-six, the final chapter-chapter of B&B. Drink up, guys.

* * *

**

**Shadow: How did you ever get this far?**

**Dei: Honestly... I don't know. **

**Shadow: You've put us all through so much shit.**

**Dei: I will admit this. I really have.**

**Shadow: I'm kind of going to miss you.**

**Dei: You never know, I could always write a sequel. There are a lot of ends that ill be let open, even with the epilogue.**

**Shadow: I'm not sure that I could handle that.**

**Dei: And that's why I'm the writer, Shaddycakes. **

**Shadow: Never call me that again.**

**Dei: Just be glad that I didn't put it in the fic. Trust me, I was tempted. If anyone guesses where, they get a cookie.**

**Shadow: We're really reaching the end?**

**Dei: Yeah... *sniffles* ...we are.

* * *

**

They moved fast once Sonic had fallen unconscious.

Knuckles lifted Sonic onto his back, seemingly not minding the blood as it dampened his shirt. Scourge used the extended-chained handcuffs to fasten the immobile teen to him, looping them around the two and tying it with a loose knot. The others crowded around him, guns drawn.

"Alright, guys, we have to move it. Let's go!" Knuckles shouted.

He took a few steps, the others following before he turned back, surprised, to Shadow, who hadn't moved.

"Aren't you coming?" The redhead asked.

Shadow swallowed and shook his head. "I'll catch up. I..." He glanced helplessly at the body that lay on the ground, surrounded by congealing blood. "I have to take care of this. I'll catch up as soon as I'm done."

The redhead, knowing better than to fight and waste time, simply nodded and started off again, the others stepping into formation around him.

Milo hesitated, but Scourge gave the boy a look.

"I should-" the blonde started.

"Go," Scourge replied. "They'll need you, Little M."

"But I-"

"Move yer ass!" Scourge scowled at the boy. "Save the kid's life. I'll help out here and... I'll see you around."

Lips trembling, the blonde boy rushed forward before they could react, throwing his arms around the man's waist and pulling away just as quickly, running off behind. "Thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Scourge replied, smiling faintly and rubbing the back of his neck. "Kids."

Shadow said nothing, turning to stare at what was once a living, breathing person- now, ironically, a murder victim and little less than just another corpse. Shadow had never paid much attention to the Black Arms men he killed- just shot them and left them where they lay.

But he knew he couldn't do that for Mephiles. Even in death, the man was his brother.

He deserved better than being left to rot.

"What do ya want to do?" Scourge asked after a moment, stepping up to Shadow's side and gazing down at the man that had once been his leader.

"Do you have any flammable material?" Shadow replied, gaze turning blank and unseeing, staring through a puddle on blood on the concrete. "Accelerant, scrap fabric or wood- anything that will burn. If you have it, hand it over."

The man made a thoughtful noise, placing a small knapsack on the ground that he had picked up at some point between him leaving the room and returning a few minutes ago. He rooted, through, pulling out a few things- a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a spare shirt that he frowned and replaced, a few cheap porn magazines and a crumpled up newspaper. He handed over the paper and the lighter, saying, "I'll need the shirt one I'm out of here."

Shadow nodded, clicking on the lighter, eyes focusing on the small flame and glancing back at the man that had once been his role model and hero.

Scourge halted him with a hand to his shoulder. Shadow looked to the man as he bent down, retrieving Shadow's gun and dispassionately wiping it off on a clean portion of Mephiles' shirt, replacing it with his own. "I'll take the gun. On the off chance they find me, I'll tell them that it was me. No one will ever say anything different, so that should keep you safe. As for my gun, well, I'd give it to you, but some of the murders were by my hand, so I can't let anyone find that with you. It's registered to my name, as well, so that wouldn't help your rep. You'll have to shell out the cash for a new piece or hang up this life entirely, if that's what you'd prefer. I still wouldn't advise going unarmed- Mephiles made himself a lot of enemies, and though he disposed of most of them, it wouldn't surprise me if one or two were still around. You look so similar to him- I wouldn't want them to give you hell for it."

Shadow really didn't have much to say to that. "Why are you looking out for me? I thought that you would hate me for all the shit he put you through. It was my fault."

The green-haired man shot him a pitying glance. "It's not your fault, kid. No matter what happened, it's not your fault. It's no one's but his own." He turned back to the man, crouching to shut the lids of still-open green eyes that were starting to turn cloudy, and reached for his mask.

"No." Shadow said before he could stop himself. Blue eyes turned on the teen, and he swallowed. "Leave the mask. He almost always had it on, and he wouldn't be himself without it. And we look so similar, I..."

"Nah, I get it," Scourge replied, standing and crossing his arms. "I wouldn't wanna see myself burning, either."

Shadow winced, lighting a piece of the newspaper and tossing it atop the body, then lighting another until all the kindling was aflame. He tossed the lighter into the fire, knowing that once the thin plastic melted, the lighter fluid inside would help the body to burn.

He turned to leave before the smoke started, but paused when Scourge tossed the half-full pack of cigarettes into the flames as well, staring at Mephiles for a moment before he turned, walking beside Shadow into the halls.

"He always hated those damn things," the man said by way of explanation, and Shadow looked at him in shock. They reached the mouth of the tunnels, and Scourge stopped the boy, placing his hands on his shoulders. Blue eyes met red, and Shadow hesitated- he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what the man had to say, but he knew damn well that he was going to hear it anyway.

Scourge frowned at him, though hidden in his gaze was something warning, betrayed and almost... _sad. _"Never doubt for a moment that your brother loved you, Shadow. It might have been in his own sick, twisted way, but... he did. Believe me, I know."

His head spun, just a little- he didn't want to think about this, want to think about the things that he'd always wondered and now borderline knew. He always had wondered how deep Mephiles' obsession ran- always wondered why there was another in his group that looked like he could be in their family, too.

He didn't want to think about it.

"How?" Shadow asked, disgust and horror bubbling in his stomach. "How could you let him do something like that-"

"It was voluntary," Scourge replied, a small, mysterious smirk making itself known. "Most of the time. Anyway, let's just make it simple and say that I kinda understood where he was comin' from. Not with the whole..." He waved his hand vaguely at Shadow, "...thing. But I know what it's like to keep an eye out for a brother and try to do what's best for him, even if ya fuck up sometimes and only make it worse."

Shadow's eyes narrowed, but the man pulled his hands away and averted his gaze. Hitching his bag up on his shoulder, he turned, taking a few steps down one tunnel before he looked over his shoulder. "Hey, Shadow?"

"What is it?" The teen asked, frowning heavily and glancing down another tunnel, revisiting the path in his head that he would have to follow to make his way out.

"Take care of Sonic, will ya?"

He blinked, turning bak to the man. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but he stopped himself short. He couldn't afford to waste any more time, if he wanted to catch up to the others.

"I will."

The green-haired man grinned, and Shadow's eyes scanned the lines of his face- the slope of his nose, the angle of his jaw. He could see it, now.

Yeah, he would take good care of Sonic- assuming that he survived.

His heart clenched. _Speaking of that..._

"Get goin', pipsqueak. He'll want you to be there when he wakes up." Scourge's smile faded a little, and Shadow tried to ignore the worry that was there- Scourge didn't worry about anyone, no matter who they were.

Shadow nodded and Scourge turned, taking off at a walk down his chosen tunnel. Shadow watched him for a moment before he rolled his neck and started to skate.

_I'll do anything I have to, Sonic,_ Shadow thought. _As long as you're safe, it will be worth it.

* * *

_

Knuckles didn't bother with the hospital- it was all white, the people were unfriendly and it smelled like bleach.

He hated the smell of bleach.

It also didn't help that the only hospital within twenty miles held terrible memories for him.

So, Knuckles took Sonic to the only place where he knew he would be safe and well taken care of.

The campus was empty-as was to be expected at almost three in the morning- which was both good and bad. Good that no one would interfere- bad that no one would be able to run ahead and alert the woman to get her things ready as soon as they arrived. They sent Hyou off, though, once they were in clear, and Knuckles was pleasantly surprised to see the kid shoot off like a rocket.

If anyone would be taking Sonic's place as track star after graduation- because, at the moment, he refused to believe that Sonic wouldn't make it _to_ graduation- it was him.

He didn't have time to worry about that, though. The give-or-take-an-hour pill had to be wearing off by now, and he needed to get Sonic to the infirmary.

And he needed Tails.

"Blaze, you're a girl-" He ignored the offended look that was shot his way, "-go to Amy's dorm and tell her to call Vanilla. Tell her that we _need_ Tails, and we need him _now._ And to bring him to the infirmary, and to make sure he has whatever crazy medicine he's invented and his medical supplies."

Milo glanced at Knuckles in surprise, recognizing the name, but didn't comment as Blaze nodded and ran off to the dorm, Cherry filling in the now-empty position. They moved as quickly as they could without jostling their injured passenger, approaching the infirmary, where- thank god- the lights were on and an _extremely_ agitated lioness-hybrid stood beside a young leopard teen.

"I should _hope_ that this is _very_ important, Knuckles," the woman growled.

"Life or death, just like we promised the last time," he replied, not bothering to react to the surprised and slightly horrified expression on the woman's face as he pushed part her with an unconscious and bloody Sonic on his back. "Please tell me that you have a sterile place to put him."

"Yes, just over here," the woman replied, door closing heavily behind her, ushering him to a medical-paper-covered cot where he patiently waited as Silver untied the makeshift harness and placed Sonic on the bed. "Is he alive?"

"Barely," Knuckles replied. "He was shot twice in the chest. We gave him some pill- well, I don't really get it. Ask the kid."

Bustling about, the woman rolled out an EKG, attaching the finger clamp to Sonic's unscarred index, frowning at the almost nonexistent rhythm there. Then she turned to Milo, blinking in surprise. "Tails?"

"Why does everyone say that?" The boy snapped, pulling off his bag and tossing it onto the floor. "The pill was untested, but theoretically sound. Its purpose was to induce clinical death for about an hour, giving time to transport the injured person and find them care. In this case, we got him here. His functions should be returning soon, but he's already lost a lot of blood and may go into cardiac arrest if not treated properly. He also faces the risk of extensive damage to the hippocampus if not resuscitated properly. Did you catch all of that?"

The woman nodded, shaking off her shock. "Do we have a blood donor? He's an AB negative- damn that boy for having the most difficult blood type to match! He'll need several units at the very least."

The door slammed open. "I'll do it."

They turned, and the range of looks passing over the collective faces was everything from unsurprised (Knuckles, of course) to horrified (the nurse, namely because he was covered in blood and grime from head to toe, shirtless and looked like he'd just crawled out of a zombie movie between his appearance and his eyes).

"Are you compatible?" The woman asked, gesturing him forward.

Shadow nodded, stepping forward swiftly. "AB negative blood type. Clean bill of health- and even if I wasn't, he wouldn't be giving anything to anyone else, anyway."

The woman snorted, moving to her medical cabinet to retrieve a sterile wipe. She then looked back at him, sighed, and tore off a string of packets from the roll. "Clean up as best you can, and be especially careful around the best vein you can find. We don't have the time to do the preliminary testing, so I dearly hope that you're correct in your assumptions and that the poor boy won't die from this alone."

Shadow rolled his eyes, steadily going through each side of every wipe, cleaning his face and arms and his hands- twice- before he scrubbed at his inner left elbow, careful to leave no residue behind as the woman approached with trocar and cannula attached to a medical-issue bag, inspecting the injection site, and, when she had approved, inserted the needle and began the collection.

Shadow, for his part, didn't so much as flinch as the needle went in. _Like anything could possibly hurt after what I just went through. _

The woman moved to attend to Sonic as she waited for the bag to fill, carefully peeling away the ruined shirt and reappearing with large, thick pads of gauze. After cleaning the wounds, she pulled over a small table, pulling gloves onto her hands and gesturing for the assembled teenagers (in varying states of distress) to move back. "I need to close the wound before the blood starts circulating again. Remove yourselves from my work area, children." With that, the woman pulled a medical mask over her mouth and set about with a syringe of antibiotic and a needle and thread.

"Don't you need to remove the bullet?" Knuckles asked in alarm.

"That is sheerly for dramatic effect," the woman snapped. "Kids and their movies- it's more about stopping the bleeding. A bullet enters hot and self-sterilizes, so bacteria is only introduced if I poke around in the injury. If Sonic really wants them to be gone after, well, we'll x-ray and see what we can do after... if there _is_ an after. I don't know how this damned pill of yours is supposed to work, but the odds aren't in his favor for surviving."

Knuckles and Silver paled, but neither so much as Shadow, who swayed where he sat. _No. He has to survive._

The woman noticed, turning back. "Dear god, you haven't gone and lost too much blood yourself, have you? The last thing I need it to take yours out, treat him and kill you in the process."

"I'm fine," Shadow replied, voice scratchy. He swallowed. "Do whatever you have to. I don't care, as long as you save him."

The woman smiled a little, but turned back to her patient with a murmured, "Teenagers, so dramatic."

The door burst open again, and Blaze returned with Amy, Chip and Tails in tow. Chip took one look at the scene and walked back out- Amy stared at the injured Sonic before she shuddered and did the same. Only Tails kept a straight face at the carnage- only to pale when he finally noticed the irritable blonde-haired boy watching the nurse work.

"Uh," he said, momentarily lost for words, eyes widening behind his own pair of scuffed safety glasses, clear-glassed and with a slight strength to them. The other's ears perked up at hearing a voice that sounded so similar to his own and turned, mouth dropping open a bit in surprise.

Tails looked to Knuckles, who was steadily looking less sick and more amused. "Tails, this is Milo. Milo, Tails."

"What the _hell_ did Sonic do?" were the first words out of the usually mild-mannered nine year old. He took a step forward, mirrored by his duplicate, heads both tilted to the side, eyes wide with interest. The scarred boy brought his hand up, chewing on the side of his finger. "Oh, god. Who- _how_?"

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Even when kidnapped by them, Sonic picks up strays. This one is apparently your brother. Oh, and make nice quickly, because we need you two to save his life."

Neither boy was quite sure what to say to that.

* * *

Curiosity shoved aside when the wounds were closed and the heart monitor began to accelerate its tempo. It was a small comfort, though, because the teen still had a long road to recovery.

The lioness kemonomimi attached the transfusion IV to Sonic, starting him on a steady drip and raising the climate of the room to hopefully help bring his body back to its proper temperature. Amy and Chip were eventually coaxed back inside to sleep in the back room of the infirmary, and Blaze and Silver followed them in soon after, stealing blankets from the cabinet to likely make something vaguely nest-like on the floor. Cherry, Sarina and Hyou returned to their dorms exhausted, promising to return as soon as they awoke. Knuckles and Rouge eventually gave in to sleep as well, tangled together on one of the spare cots, sharing a pillow and the one blanket that had managed to escape the others' nesting. Tails and Milo spoke in hushed tones in a far corner until they, too, faded.

Shadow had taken a brief shower before the others fell asleep in the infirmary's restroom, discarding his ruined jeans in favor of scrub pants, his shoes tucked under a cot somewhere along with his jacket, which he was grateful to find that Rouge had grabbed from the site before they left. With the increased heat, he found it easier to simply stay shirtless- and with the bandages wrapped around his scraped back and torso, he didn't really need one, anyway.

He pulled up a fairly comfortable waiting-room type chair to Sonic's bedside, a foldable metal chair used as his footrest when bending his legs was no longer comfortable. He held Sonic's scarred hand in both of his own, and as his body temperature dropped while he grudgingly fell asleep, he didn't realize the warmth that was steadily growing in the other.

Morning didn't find Shadow entirely well rested, but it found him as the only one awake beside the affectionately-dubbed "Brain Twins", who were awake and squabbling (quietly) over what ingredient to put into something-or-another and how much.

Shadow sighed, stomach grumbling in protest, and dug through the cabinets to find protein bars, taking one for himself and getting two for the blonde boys, who accepted them gratefully before starting their argument again, something about whether somatropin and HGH were necessary or not. He didn't bother getting involved- his brain wasn't at its best comprehensive ability this early in the morning or this close to waking up, and he doubted that he would understand them anyway, even if he _was_ at full functionality.

After satisfying his stomach's craving for food, he found himself tired again and decided to go back to sleep. Whether or not he actually ended up _in_ the chair was debatable, because when he woke up a few hours later after everyone else had awoken, curled at the edge of Sonic's cot, no one looked at him any differently. It was as if they had all walked in and simply found him there, and no one had the heart to pull him away.

_Which_, Shadow realized, faintly embarassed, but too anxious to really care, _could have entirely been the case._

Either way, he didn't really care, because when Tails and Milo approached them at noon with a proposal that "should help reverse any brain damage and won't be harmful, in any case", nothing else really mattered. All he wanted was for Sonic to wake up- possibly just for the sake of knowing he was actually _alive,_ despite the annoying beeping that had faded into the background and the rise and fall of his chest.

Seeing his eyes and his smile were all that really mattered at this point.

So, when the nurse gave them the go-ahead and the boys popped the second capsule into Sonic's mouth for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, everyone watched and waited nervously.

It started small, as a twitch of the fingers that no one but Shadow seemed to notice. Then a small noise, barely distinguishable over the beeping of the EKG. No one believed anything he said until emerald eyes opened blearily, blinking a few times, extraordinarily slow, before they finally focused on Shadow, and the blue-haired teen smiled, just a little.

But that was more than enough.

Joyful war cries and careful hugs were passed around, much to the nurse's chagrin and Sonic's faintly-confused acceptance. He became slightly more lucid as time wore on, but it was no surprise that the teen was tired and faded in and out several times before the irritable lioness finally shooed all out but Shadow, who refused to budge. She was accepting in letting him stay, though, and didn't bother Shadow in his protective watching over his lover.

Relief was the only thing that was real to Shadow, now. The rest didn't matter- Sonic was alive, and even if he couldn't hold a conversation for more than a few minutes or stay awake for too long, he didn't care, because Sonic was _alive._

He was very alive and belonged very much to Shadow, at least if the protective older male had anything to say about it, keeping a watchful eye on the others when they came to visit. Sonic slept most of the time, but that didn't really matter, either, because each and every time that he opened his eyes as saw Shadow there, his responding smile grew a little brighter.

When Sonic awoke and was most responsive, it was late at night and everyone had gone to sleep. Shadow was the only one there, and, as always, was keeping watch. When Sonic opened his eyes and reached out to touch his boyfriend, Shadow gently took his hand and brushed his lips over the back of the thin fingers, holding it in both of his own.

"You're still here," Sonic said in surprised, but it was obvious that he was pleased. "Do you ever leave?"

"No," Shadow answered honestly. "Not until you're okay."

Sonic inspected the dark circles under vermillion eyes, frowning a little. "You need to sleep more. You look tired."

"I am, but it's worth it," Shadow replied, relocating to the cot when Sonic tugged gently on his hands. He curled up on his side, resting his forehead against the side of Sonic's shoulder, tensing when the hand pulled away and relaxing again when it moved to his hair, playing with the dark, shiny strands and twirling them around his fingers.

"What happened?" Sonic asked, the first time he had brought the question up. "What happened after I took the pill?"

Shadow sighed, settling in closer. "Not too much- Knuckles carried you out of the tunnels, and Scourge and I stayed behind to dispose of the evidence." He didn't tell Sonic what he had discovered about Scourge- after all, he knew that if he man had wanted Sonic to know, he would have told him. That, and Shadow had the nagging feeling that he'd be seeing the man again. "I came up after them, and we transfused a few units of my blood into you. Milo and Tails did... whatever they do, and you woke up. You know the rest."

"How well did Milo and Tails get along?" He asked, closing his eyes, a slight smile on his face. "I would have liked to see that."

"They argued quite a bit, just like brothers." Shadow closed his eyes, swallowing. "But they put their heads together and figured something out."

"That's good," Sonic replied. "I was worried that they wouldn't get along. A little arguing is character-building. God knows that if Knuckles and I hadn't beat the crap out of each other the way we did, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be the same person without having that part of growing up."

Shadow hummed softly in agreement, nuzzling Sonic's palm as it came to rest on his cheek. His eyes opened and met Sonic's and the elder leaned up to kiss him. It was light and careful and nothing if not sweet, but Shadow was pretty damn sure that it was the best he'd ever received from the blue-haired hybrid, if only because it made reality sink in that this was real- Sonic was alive, he would recover, and, best of all, he belonged to Shadow.

"I was serious," he replied when they settled back, laying forehead-to-forehead. "When I said that I wanted to be your mate. I still want that... if you do."

Sonic's cheeks colored lightly and the younger smiled and laughed, just a little. Shadow knew what that meant just as much as he did, if the blush coloring tan cheeks was any indication. "Of course. But, for now, let's just enjoy what we have here. There will be, uh... plenty of time for _that_ later."

The boys laughed nervously, but couldn't quell the excitement and happiness that had taken root. Still, sadness had taken root inside of Shadow, and they both knew that the time would come when that hurt and pain would have to be released.

However, now was neither the time or the place, and both knew that. It would come eventually, and how it was dealt with could either make or break their relationship. The issue would have to be dealt with before their official partnership began- namely, _soon._ But they shoved away those thoughts and held tight to the positive feelings they had found. Those were more important, at least for now.

Sonic was starting to grow tired again, and Shadow knew that though the younger had been doing better, it would take time before he was back to his normal standards. It was his turn to reach up, now, brushing the strands of sapphire back from Sonic's eyes, which were starting to slide closed. He needed rest, Shadow knew- and there was plenty of time for it.

The school had excused them from classes for a week, and, due to the true nature of the situation, decided to turn a blind eye to what had really happened. The other students need not know what had occurred. In a few weeks, it wouldn't matter anyway, since the holiday break was fast approaching, and he issue would be forgotten. The rumors of the murderer would fade, and even the city would eventually forget the unnamed monster that had them walking a little faster as the sun went down and sleeping fitfully at night.

Nothing lasted forever, but, Shadow was sure, as he glanced at the sleepy hedgehog kemonomimi beside him, that they sure could last for a damn long time, if those involved were dedicated.

"I love you," Sonic mumbled almost incoherently as his eyes closed, shifting closer to his companion.

"I love you too," Shadow replied, smiling faintly as what felt like fireworks bubbled happily in his chest. He would never get tired of that. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Promise?" Sonic sighed.

"I promise." The dark-haired teen took one scarred hand back into both of his own, holding it close as Sonic faded into sleep . His fingers carefully traced around the edges of the still-fading mark, but Shadow knew well that while scars faded, they never completely disappeared.

Sonic would never forget him. Though Shadow wasn't sure of the future, _that_ he was certain of.

And that was good enough for him.


	27. Ends & Beginnings

**Oh. My. God.**

**This thing is a BEAST. It is legitimately three chapters. If I knew it was going to be this long, I never would have written it! But I did. So, you all better enjoy three full days of my life, because I blew off a LOT of necessary cleaning and packing for you guys. Lmfao!**

**A HELLA lot of research went into this one, too, so appreciate my need for details. You may not even fathom the amount of work I put Google through to hunt down some of this shit. XD**

**

* * *

**

**Okay, but here's the deal.**

**The song at the end? Yeah. It's MINE. As in, I wrote it, I put a LOT of effort and emotion into it, and if I find out that anyone STOLE it, god forbid, I will hunt you down. It's MINE. *growls* Mine. ****As in, do not copy or repost without my permission ANYWHERE. And, for the sake of your financial future, no not claim it as your own! It's mine, I have proof, that's it. I had a LOT of reservations about putting it up on this site, and if it's stolen even once, that will be it for the epilogue. Please, please, please don't make me regret posting this up here, because I have a lot of plans for that song in the future, if I have anything to say about it, anyway. **

**SO DON'T STEAL. Because I'm not kidding about the proof. I have it. And here is the official deal: **

**"Out Of Mind" © its-dei-chan-un (08/12/2010, 3:33 AM)**

**So, that's it. Don't steal, feel free to show love or even to hate, and CERTAINLY feel free to comment on my paranoia. It wouldn't be anything new. :D

* * *

**

**Standard disclaimer applies. They are not mine (for the last time! T^T)!

* * *

**

**Shadow:**** Wow... so this is really it?**

**Dei: Yeah... at least for now.**

**Sonic: I'm gonna miss your craziness.**

**Dei: And I'm gonna miss your drama. You guys have been such great characters.**

**Shadow: I can't believe that it's over. Less than two months, and you've cranked out NOT ONLY a complete fic (your first to be started and completed on this site, other than oneshots), but over 110K words of said fic.**

**Dei: I know, it's a miracle. Seriously. I never actually thought that I would finish this, let alone make it so long and STILL want to continue.**

**Sonic: Well, you know where we'll be.**

**Dei: And you know where I'll be- in California for a year of no internet or cell phone in an intensive weight loss program.**

**Shadow: Have fun with that.**

**Dei: I plan to, don't you worry, Shaddycakes. I'll raise hell on both coasts, baby!**

**Sonic: *rolls eyes* You know, I never found out what that pill was...**

**Dei: And this is why there are sequels, boys.**

**Shadow: Well, here it is.**

**Sonic: The epilogue of Black & Blue.**

**Dei: I can't believe you guys have stuck with me this far. I seriously love you all and I truly appreciate it. I hope you don't get scared off by the sequel, which I will hopefully be writing while I'm away and posting at some point around the winter holidays in part, if not in entirety.**

**Shadow: Because she has no idea if she'll even be allowed to have her computer.**

**Dei: I know... a year without fanfiction... a year without YAOI! D: Dear god, I hope I don't turn straight.**

**Sonic: *smacks forehead***

**Shadow: *rolls eyes* You'll never be straight, Dei.**

**Dei: Awww! *glomps* I'll miss you boys! Lots of love, everyone! And thank you for reading Black & Blue.

* * *

**

_One Month Later..._

It was snowing.

That in and of itself was unusual, as Mobius was usually warm and didn't get a whole lot of snow. Sonic could count on one hand the amount of times that the fluffy white ice particles had ever stuck to his city. And he preferred it that way- even frozen, snow was water, and he hated water. Snow was also cold, another thing he didn't like.

He would have thrown a fit, but it had been Christmas, and the kids loved going outside to play. They had spent the holiday at Cream's house, helping Vanilla with holiday chores so she could relax and tend to the crowd of children that were sprawled over her living room floor as they played games and watched television. Even Amy, who insisted she was too old for things such as Christmas specials, joined in with the younger kids eventually. Once the snow hit, she seemed to have no problem doing such 'childish' things as making a snowman with the others. Even Chip stopped munching on the Christmas cookies for long enough to help roll the body and take a bite out of the carrot nose.

They exchanged small gifts on the actual holiday- some science kit for both Tails and Milo, a doll for Cream, a pair of earrings for Amy- Knuckles was eternally thankful for Rouge's presence on _that_ shopping trip- and a large tin of caramel-covered popcorn for Chip, who powered through the gallon-sized drum by night's end.

In return, Cream presented them both with a poster-sized drawing that she and her two adopted brothers (Cheese and Chocola, who were both still too young for school and were usually in day care) had drawn of the group. The boys had been pleased to see that Rouge was present next to Knuckles, who had been adopted graciously by the little girl, and even Shadow was there, though frowning (and Knuckles laughed until he couldn't breathe). The teens mentioned were absent, though they had promised to come by later- something about their caretakers and having to report in, even on holidays.

Amy had blushed upon presenting Sonic with a new chain to put his ring on, and Knuckles received a red-and-white woven bracelet that the girl had made herself, punching him in the arm when he told her that he didn't wear girly things such as friendship bracelets. He dutifully put it on, though, and wore it the entire night. Chip had, unsurprisingly, gifted them with food that he claimed he made on his own. After much hesitation, they took hesitant bites of what as some kind of chocolate-covered snack mix, and, to their surprise, liked it. Chip was pleased, though slightly agitated when he responded that he tested everything himself before he let anyone else eat it.

Tails and Milo had presented them with the strangest gifts, though. For Knuckles, they gave him a small, felt-covered box. He looked skeptical and shot the boys a strange glance until he opened it and found a dime-sized diamond inside.

"Where the hell did you get this?" He exclaimed.

"We made it," Tails replied with a wide grin.

"From carbon," Milo added. "We made a machine that applies huge amounts of pressure for long amounts of time. This one took us a week to form before we cut and polished it."

"We thought you might want to get it set in something and give it to Rouge," Tails finished. "Of course, we could always take it back and sell it for approximately one-point-five million dollars. Fifteen carats is pretty big, you know."

Sonic and Knuckles stared at the boys, open-mouthed and not completely sure if they should be horrified or amazed.

"I want it," Knuckles replied, closing the lid of the small box. "And I _don't_ want to know what else you guys are doing with your spare time."

The boys grinned.

For Sonic was something much more simple- but twice as mysterious. Inside a yellow-plastic pill bottle was a large, deep red capsule. He showed it to Knuckles, who winced at the last memory of the last capsule Sonic had taken.

"What is this?" Sonic asked.

The absolutely shit-eating grins that covered the two boys' faces made Sonic put the lit back on the bottle and shove it into the backpack at his feet.

"Something you may or may not want a few years from now," Tails answered.

"Um," Sonic replied, not exactly sure _how_ to reply. "Thank you?"

"Oh, you won't be thanking us once you've taken it," Milo added, snickering.

The alarmed look that Knuckles shot Sonic made the blue-haired boy not want to know.

At all.

Ever.

"We'll talk about this later," he growled when the doorbell suddenly rang, Knuckles shoving his 'gift' into Sonic's bag once Sonic had gotten up to get the door.

Rouge looked perfectly happy in a knitted pink hat and scarf, fuzzy boots and a white coat- Shadow, not so much in his leather jacket and sneakers, bag over his shoulder, arms crossed over his chest and eats flattened down as he shivered, snow in his hair beginning to melt from the heat of the small house.

_At least I'm not the only one who hates snow,_ Sonic thought, amused, as he gestured for the others to come in and leave their outerwear in the mud room, where countless little pairs of boots were lines up below their owners' respective coats. Rouge hung up her coat after shoving hat and scarf into the sleeve, toeing off her boots and slipping past Sonic with a smile to join the others in the lining room.

Shadow, however, had a little more trouble, removing his jacket before taking a seat on a large wooden box that held all off-season equipment. He scowled as he crossed one leg over the other, attacking the snow jammed into the wheel-socket with his finger. Sonic snorted and sat beside him.

"It would be easier if you just took them off, you know," he reminded Shadow. "Or just let the snow melt."

"It'll rust the wheel's axle," the cold-flushed boy replied. "I need to take the wheels out and put the inserts in, but I can't do that if there's snow caught in there."

"Why didn't you put the inserts in before?" Sonic asked, grinning.

"It wasn't snowing _before_," Shadow growled, placing both feet on the tiled floor and stomping them, tightly-packed snow escaping from the treads. "There. Now I should be able to take them out."

Sonic watched, amused, as the dark-haired boy fished out the wheels and replaced them with rubber inserts, leaning over the side of the bench to put the wheels into the pocket of his coat. He then kicked off his shoes and stood, carefully avoiding the puddles of melted snow as he made his way safely to the hall, Sonic following behind.

Sonic slipped his hand into Shadow's, the other smiling faintly for the first time since his arrival. He pulled the elder into the living room, where Knuckles had relocated to an oversized chair, curled up in it with Rouge and Cream as they read a book with the delighted little girl, her two adopted brothers crowding around the side, desperate to be a part of the (admittedly low-key) action.

Sonic grinned, leading Shadow to the small couch, where they sat on either end, putting their feet up and chatting, Sonic passing off some of Chip's snack mix onto the skeptical elder, who seemed to enjoy it enough once he actually tried it. Of course, Shadow was a sucker for sweets, as much as he denied it to everyone else, so the chocolate-covered aspect went down well.

Sonic, for the life of him, tried his hardest to ignore the conspiratorial grins that Tails and Milo still wore, but even Shadow was starting to catch on and send alarmed and slightly-creeped-out looks. Sonic shrugged- discounting the mysterious 'gift', he really had no idea what their deal was, either. But, Tails' troublemaking streak was starting to worry him quite a bit. He just hoped that it stuck to raising hell with science and being a smart ass rather than getting him into fights and that shit.

Other than the boys' awkwardness, the night went on fairly well. Cream fell asleep soon after she was done reading, the boys along with her, and Knuckles and Rouge carried the three to bed. Amy and Chip watched some TV special until they fell asleep, unconsciously curling together on the floor. Sonic got up after about twenty minutes of them staying asleep to cover them with a blanket. Tails and Milo fell asleep not long after, finally dozing off where Vanilla had originally intended the kids to sleep, sleeping bags and pillows spread out in the far corner of the living room.

Knuckles and Rouge came back after they tucked the younger kids in, reclaiming their seat on the chair across from the couch. Sonic shifted so he sat between Shadow's legs, leaning back against the slightly-surprised male, who quickly settled in and amused himself by playing with Sonic's hair. The four talked almost all night until they all succumbed to sleep around two in the morning. Knuckles and Sonic shared a silent agreement not to say a word about the 'gifts' from Milo and Tails.

Which was probably a good idea.

* * *

The next week went by fairly quickly, and Sonic and Knuckles found themselves faced with New Year's Eve before they knew it. Not wanting to spend the night in the dorms, they started looking for options.

And then Knuckles suggested his old apartment.

Sonic was hesitant to return to the place, and, honestly, so was Knuckles. Neither had returned after Tikal had died, since their things were already at the school and the apartment held too many memories. It was time to face those memories, though, and Sonic knew it. Tikal had sent her message to him in the form of Shadow- she wouldn't want Sonic to run away from her memory. She would want him to embrace it as a part of his life.

They brought Blaze and Silver with them the morning of the thirty-first, Knuckles having to root through his things for nearly an hour the night before to find the key and hoped to god that his father hadn't changed to locks. He doubted that he would have, though- the man had showed up for his daughter's funeral and Knuckles had never seen him again.

He knew his father enough to know that if the man wanted him out of the apartment, he definitely would have known about it.

The four took the stairs up to the fourth floor of the brick apartment building, congregating around the door in the hallway which still had the same slightly-faded paint. Knuckles and Sonic shared an uncertain look before the redhead slid the key smoothly into the lock and it turned, the door opening.

Everything was exactly where they left it, albeit a little dusty. Five mismatched chairs were still crowded around the old kitchen table, and when Knuckles flicked on the light switch, the lightbulb on the left was still blown out, just like they'd left it. He realized then that while his father had not visited the apartment, he must still be paying the electrical bills.

Photo frames lined the walls, glass covered by a fine film of grime. The pictures inside were still distinguishable, though- one of a smiling brown-haired man and a red-haired woman, a red-haired boy with the beginnings of dreadlocks holding onto the woman's hand and a baby in the man's arms. A redheaded boy scowling next to his spiky blue-haired friend, a grin on his face. The same redhead at about Tails' age in the shallow end of a pool, a small girl with swim floats beside him, waving to the blue-haired boy who stood by a fence with his arms crossed.

The memorable of the photos was the one taken about a year before the incident with the Babylon Rogues- the five of them crowded around the table, Knuckles next to Tikal, who had a young Tails in her lap, Silver and Blaze across the way and Sonic at the head on the table, pointing at something written onto a piece of paper and scowling at his best friend. Tikal had been the only one aware that the picture was being taken and was smiling- the others had been in some form of argument and Tails was attached to an orange sippy-cup. It had been barely a few weeks after they had found the boy and a few months before Union was formed officially.

Sonic still remembered that day- it had been one of the best.

Knuckles closing a cabinet a little too hard snapped Sonic out of his nostalgia, and he joined the others in the kitchen. "What's the damage?"

"Everything's expired, but that's as we expected. It doesn't look like anything has gotten in here, so that's good, too. If we do some cleaning and stocking this place up it should be as good as new," Knuckles replied, turning to Sonic.

"We can go get cleaning supplies," Blaze offered. "See if that little place down the street is still open."

"That sounds fine," Knuckles answered. "Later this afternoon, I have to run into the city, so I can pick up food while I'm out." He grinned at Sonic, who knew exactly what Knuckles was going into the city for.

The jeweler he had taken the diamond to was new in town, and so he had no idea who Knuckles was. The stout man had threatened to call the cops on him for having such a valuable gem, believing that the redhead had stolen it. Knuckles had argued with the man for a while before he'd snapped, "Does the name _Union_ mean anything to you?"

At that, the jeweler had paled. His shop was in one of the more rough parts of town, and he had been warned plenty of times about the gang activity, Union being one of the most notorious. Though they hadn't caused any trouble for a long time, they were still recognized as the most dangerous because of the vicious way in which they had driven out the troublemaking Babylon Rouges. They were widely known as vigilantes, but dangerous ones if trifled with. Though they were not currently wanted, everyone knew their names. "Ah, yes, I do. Sir, what did you say your name was again?"

At this, Knuckles rolled his eyes, never having told the man his name, and answered. At that, the man apologized profusely and had offered Knuckles a substantial discount for the trouble he'd caused the teen. Knuckles, being the person that he was, accepted but still acted a little pissed off, just to make the man sweat.

When Knuckles returned to the dorms that evening, he recounted to the others about his experience, the others taking great pleasure in the story. _Union_ was already becoming a popular topic of conversation, rumors having been spread one way or another about the gang being the reason that the murders had stopped. And, as they all knew, when rumors were already flying, a little intimidation went a long way.

Blaze and Silver nodded in reply, grabbing Silver's backpack and emptying it of its contents in order to make carrying the supplies back easier. Sonic and Knuckles stayed behind in favor of exploring the apartment a little more.

They crossed back through the dining room into the adjoined living room, where a couch and two chairs formed a semi-circle around a large television. Legos were still spread over the floor, grouped by size and color, a faded photograph printed out on plain white paper sitting beside a barely-started project that was covered in dust. The sight made Sonic's chest ache, partly for the neglect that the apartment had suffered and partly for everything that was here that they'd left behind- their older possessions, their pasts and their innocence. Everything had started here, and here it had ended.

Sonic left the living room when Knuckles continued down the hallway, turning on the lights as he went and swiping away spiderwebs that lingered in the doorways of the bedrooms. He and Sonic looked into what had been theirs.

It was set up very much like their dorm, with bunk beds on the far left wall and two dressers on either end. A few pairs of jeans were strewn across the floor, probably two or three sizes too small, now. They might even fit Chip, now- he was just about the age they were when they were wearing them, after all.

In the corner, a skateboard lay propped against the wall, a pair of blue and gold rollerblades next to it. A guitar in a cheap fabric case leaned against the dusty windowsill. Hanging from one of the bunk posts was a cluster of gold medals, on the other was a hemp necklace, a large faceted green-glass pendant set in the center, flanked by smaller, colored glass beads. Knuckles made a soft noise of recognition when he saw it, taking a step inside the room, and then another. Sonic wasn't quite sure if he wanted to, yet- it felt almost like he was intruding on the life that used to be here. However, when Knuckles waved him in, he followed.

He spun in place, looking at everything from the light blue paint on the walls to the crack in the molding that he had broken after he kicked it too hard. It was strange to be here again, knowing that this was his home and yet he had not belonged here. Knuckles and his family had taken him in, but his heart was still out on the streets, even now. No matter where his possessions lay, he would always be able to replace them. The places and the people, however, could never be substituted so easily.

He didn't stay in there long. Seeing firsthand how much he had changed was a little too much. Looking at the shirts, still in the dresser that would fit Tails now. The shoes that looked like they belonged to someone ten years younger. Even the medals, dated five years beforehand, when he has first started track and running for sport, instead of just running for his life.

Knuckles was still in that room when he moved on, barely giving a glance to the one that had belonged to Silver and Blaze, who, even at that age had been attached at the hip. A quick look into the bathroom, still covered in tacky and outdated wallpaper. A glance into the room that was recognized as belonging to Knuckles' father, even though the man was rarely there.

And then he came to the last door.

Sonic pushed it open, heart beating rapidly in his chest. He'd never much payed attention to Tikal's room, since she was usually out mingling in the living space. She preferred being near people, aside from her routine of retiring at nine o'clock sharp, Tails with her. If he had ever seen her room, he certainly didn't remember it.

It was simple, he found. Simple and clean, though with a few personal touches scattered throughout.

A single bed, covered by a turquoise bedspread, pushed into the far left corner, a patterned skirt still lain over the metal bar at the base. A crib against the wall closest to him, a mobile of papier mâché planets suspended above it, their orbit having long stopped. A dresser in the back right corner, not covered in makeup like most other girls would have, but by scented oils and old discs of meditative music in a format that Sonic didn't recognize. A wind chime hung from the curtain rod over the window, a multi-faceted clear crystal hanging from it, casting rainbows over the light hardwood floor. A thin, woven mat lay in the center, rectangular and one that Sonic recognized as being used for meditation and yoga.

He took a step inside, and the wind chime made itself heard a few times, though there was no breeze present. He turned, but Knuckles was still in the other room, so there was really no reason for it to be making any noise. Sonic thought that it must have just been his imagination.

A closet, visible only if a few steps in were taken and the person turned around, was filled with vintage-style clothing. Long skirts, loose tops that were both pretty and practical, allowing full range of movement without restriction. Leather sandals in many different styles, only one pair of sneakers, unworn. Sonic knew one pair was absent- the pair that she had been wearing that day, that the police had taken as evidence and never returned. She had been buried in her favorite pair of thong-style flip-flops, as well as a woven skirt that she preferred for warm summers and a halter-top white shirt, as well as her gold-and-turquoise headband. The ring that she usually wore on a thin chain around her neck was found on someone else that day.

Sonic's fists clenched slightly, and the wind chime sang its song again. He frowned, looking to the window where the little thing swayed, crystal spinning and sending its rainbows dancing all over the room.

Knuckles had appeared in the doorway, but how long ago, Sonic was not sure. The two shared a look before turning their eyes back to the wood-and-metal contraption.

"You know," the redhead said after a long moment. "Tikal always told me that the spirits communicated with her through that thing."

"Really?" Sonic asked, brow furrowing. The chiming continued.

"Yeah. She said that they would ring it when they were nearby and wanted to tell her something." Knuckles swallowed after a moment, looking like he wanted to continue but like he didn't quite know what to say.

Sonic sighed, crossing the room and putting a finger against the chime, ceasing its ringing and returning to the doorway. "Maybe she's just happy we're home."

The chime started again.

Both boys smiled at that, and Sonic's eyes burned. Knuckles turned to return to the kitchen.

Sonic lingered a moment, looking over the room for a long moment before he closed the door with a soft, "Goodbye."

* * *

The cleaning took several hours, which was to be expected after the neglect that the apartment had suffered. They dusted, swept and mopped the tile and wood floors and vacuumed the carpets. Lightbulbs were replaced, along with batteries in various devices and the clocks were changed tot heir proper times. Anything that was expired, they threw out, taking turns to bring the bags down to the dumpster supplied for the building's trash. It was about the sixth trip up and down four flights of stairs that they realized the dumpster was directly below the kitchen window and that, to their delight, it opened widely and had no screen.

Needless to say, none of them walked back up and down the stairs with the bags, but they did get a strange look from Knuckles upon his arrival with several bags of food. The teenagers grinned, Silver and Blaze moving to stock the kitchen when Knuckles pulled Sonic aside.

A few days after the huge, brilliant-cut diamond was given to him, he told Sonic that though he and Rouge had discussed the prospect of becoming mates, he wanted to be traditional and ask her to marry him first. Becoming mates was a big deal- it only happened once, unlike humans who paired off with a new companion every few years, very few sticking together for more than ten. In the past, some hybrids had insisted on the human tradition of marriage as a pre-trial to being mates, and it had slowly become the trend. Humans were very casual with sexual relationships, but hybrids only had once real chance to have that with someone, so they were very particular about choosing their partner. The fact that Knuckles was going to roll with this and ask Rouge to marry him showed Sonic that he was taking the situation _very_ seriously and fighting off the impulsive decisions that he usually gave into.

"Did you get it?" Sonic asked.

"Yeah. The guy gave me a full-K off because I apparently still looked like I wanted to shoot him." Both boys snickered at that, and the redhead continued. "Yeah, so it only came to fifteen-fifty in the end, which was a lot better than what I expected to pay. I had so much more saved than that, you know? So this was great, and it looks nice, if I say so myself."

Even so, the echidna-hybrid sounded uncertain, removing the small blue-felt box from his pocket, opening it and showing it to Sonic. Inside was a woven round-and-pavé-set engagement setting, the center stone flawless and glittering, even under the dim light.

"Wow," Sonic replied, blinking and closing the box before handing it back over. "What metal is that?"

"Platinum," Knuckles replied. "It's heavier than white gold and costs a lot more, but it's supposed to hold up much better over time." He frowned, replacing the box in his pocket, pants just baggy enough that it wasn't noticeable. "Do you think she'll like it?"

Sonic shot his friend and incredulous glance. "Dude, it nearly _blinded_ me. Of course, she's going to love it. Girls like shiny things, and _that_, my friend, fucking _sparkles_."

Knuckles grinned, reassured, and shoved his hands into the pouch of his sweatshirt. "Remind me to do something _really_ nice for those kids, sometime."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "Nothing _too_ nice, at least not until I find out what that thing is that they pawned off onto me at Christmas."

"I doubt you want to know," Knuckles replied. "Just shove it in the back of your dresser somewhere and forget about it. It was probably some practical joke."

"Yeah," Sonic conceded, heading back into the kitchen to help load things into the cabinets. "Did I ever tell you that Tails and Milo have detention after break?"

"What? Really?" Knuckles asked, frowning.

"Tails did what, now?" Silver asked, turning from his place of filling the freezer.

"I'm not entirely sure, just something about an 'Antigravity Apparatus' that they set off during class and made everything and every_one_ float around the room." Sonic frowned. "Their troublemaking is getting out of hand."

Knuckles laughed quietly, Silver joining in quickly after. Blaze, too, smiled and replied, "Oh, they're just kids, Sonic. Let them have their fun. No one cares about freshman year, anyway."

"Yeah, I guess so," Sonic conceded, smirking a little. "I can't even imagine the shit they're going to get into for Senior Prank. As long as it's generally un-dangerous stuff, I don't really care too much." He sighed, glancing at the clock and blinking in surprise. "Speaking of the kids, I have to go get them. It's almost five, and catching the five o'clock bus should get me there around five-thirty, and hopefully I can catch the six o'clock back."

"I'll go with you," Knuckles offered. "Silver, Blaze, you guys want to come with?"

The two shook their heads. "Nah, we'll stay here," Blaze replied. "Maybe get something started for dinner."

"Sounds good," Sonic replied, grinning, reaching for his fleece-lined coat. "Be back soon."

The other two nodded, and once Knuckles had slipped a windbreaker on over his sweatshirt, they took the keys and set off for the bus stop.

* * *

Seven o'clock found Knuckles and Sonic herding kids into the apartment building and up the stairs, trying to keep track of all of them and keep them to the right side of the stairs so those coming _down_ had a place to go. It was one of few buildings in the city that had residents of both human and hybrid descent- though even the most tolerant of humans gave the boys a strange look as they herded four children up the stairs, carrying another on their hip.

True to their word, Blaze and Silver had already started dinner by the time they arrived, as the running tap and a cooking timer could be heard from the entry way.

"We're back!" Knuckles called, removing his jacket and hanging it on one of several pegs mounted to the wall, kicking his shoes off onto a mud mat. The kids looked around curiously as they took in their surroundings, removing hats and jackets while entering the living room.

As soon as Tails stepped in, he froze.

"I know where we are," he said softly, glancing up at Sonic, who nodded. "We used to live here."

"Live here?" Amy asked in surprise, frowning as she inspected one of the newly-cleaned photo frames on the wall. "Oh, wow- that _is_ you, isn't it, Tails? You were so little!"

The blonde boy took a step in, dazed, crossing the room and kneeling in from of an orange toy chest. He opened it, pulling out a red stuffed fox and clutching it to his chest, looking around like he had never seen the place before. The others gave him space, including Milo, who looked sad.

"Everything is so much smaller," Tails said.

"You just got bigger," Sonic replied, stepping forward and resting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Everything is still the same."

"Everything?" the blonde asked, standing and walking down the hallway, stopping in front of the only closed door. Sonic followed behind, and when Tails hesitated, opened it for the boy to see the room where he had spent much of his time.

"My bed is still in the same place," Tails whispered. "And my mobile. And the wind chime. Everything's still here."

Pain spread in Sonic's chest as he watched the boy walk the perimeter of the room, slightly dazed and touching things that Sonic himself had not dared to lay a finger on. He carefully sat on the edge of the bed, lay on his back in the middle of the room and went to the dresser, opening the top drawer, removing books- picture books, children's chapter books, even a few classics. Sonic had remembered Tikal remarking on how quickly the boy was learning to read, but he never really realized how much tie she must have put in to help him.

"Sonic," Tails said softly, closing the drawer. "Look."

He didn't want to 'look', but he was compelled to take a few steps forward and take what Tails offered to him- a plain, white envelope with his name written in slightly-crooked letters. He swallowed, chewing on his lower lip for a moment before he folded the envelope in half and tucked it into his back pocket.

"Are you going to read it?" Tails asked.

"Maybe," Sonic replied, frowning. "Not now, though... and not in front of you guys. Tonight is supposed to be fun."

Tails nodded, silent for a moment before he asked, "Why was the door closed? I mean, the room is clean, so you must have come in here, but all the others were open and this one... wasn't."

"It reminds me of things that I don't want to think about."

Tails frowned at him, eyes sad. "She wouldn't want you to lock away your memories of her, Sonic." The teen headed in the direction of the hall. "Keep the door open and honor her memory."

Sonic closed his eyes for a moment before he nodded, leaving the door open as he followed Tails back into the living room and branched off into the kitchen, Blaze pushing vegetables around in a frying pan on the stove, Silver sitting on the counter with a brown-glass bottle in hand and Knuckles digging through the cabinets, the redhead turning when he saw Sonic enter.

"I'm not sure what to give them. I mean, I know they'll pretty much eat anything, but- hey, are you okay?"

Sonic bit down hard on the inside of his cheek, the pain in his mouth distracting his from the vague burning in his eyes. He hoped his voice didn't crack as much as he thought it did when he replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was wondering, uh... I mean, I don't know what Shadow and Rouge were doing tonight, but I was thinking that maybe we could invite them over. If you want to, that is."

Knuckles blinked at the sudden turn of conversation, but knowing Sonic's avoidance tactics for what they were, he let it slide. His eyes narrowed slightly as he thought, obviously weighing the pros and cons of having them over before a look crossed his face and he grinned. "Yeah, that sounds cool. We have enough food for everyone."

"And alcohol," Silver added, taking a sip of what Sonic figured was probably beer. "Don't forget the alcohol."

Blaze smiled a little and sighed. "I'll never know how you get that stuff without an ID."

The teen snorted. "Honestly, Blaze? We're a gang. Of course, we have alcohol. We wouldn't be a good group if we didn't."

Knuckles rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, go ahead. I don't know what they're doing other than Rouge was talking about something-or-another that they had to do."

"Cool," Sonic replied, pulling his phone from the side pocket of his jeans. "I'll be right back, then."

Stepping back down the hall and into the room he and Knuckles used to share and flicking on the light, he scrolled down to Shadow's contact, complete with picture of a half-smiling and annoyed Shadow as Sonic poked his cheek, attempting to get him to smile for the picture. He reminded himself that he would have to get another picture soon.

Hitting call, he put the cell to his ear and listened as it rang away, silently saying in his mind, _pick up, pick up, pick up. Pick up the phone._ He was quite certain that after a few trills of the electronic tone that he would get voicemail, but was surprised when the other answered.

"_Hello?"_

"Hey, Shadow," Sonic started, voice cracking. He cursed internally, clearing his throat a bit.

"_Are you okay? What's going on?"_

Sonic winced, even though he appreciated the concern that was clear in his boyfriend's voice. "Nothing, just swallowed something wrong. What are you doing tonight?"

The teen on the other side sighed, and Sonic knew that he hadn't believed him. He could picture the look of exasperation on the other boy' face when he replied, _"Cut it out, Faker. You don't have to lie. And I'm in the city tonight- I apologize. Rouge and I have to check in with our caretaker."_

Oh, the ever-mysterious caretaker. Sonic frowned. "Oh, okay. Well, we're all in the city at Knuckles' apartment, and we were wondering if you and Rouge wanted to come over and spend the night and stuff. We're basically going to hang out, eat, watch the ball drop, the whole deal."

Someone on the other side was speaking in the background- Sonic was pretty sure that it was Rouge, thoughts confirmed when he heard Shadow reply, _"Sonic. He wants to know if we can go over- something about an apartment... Huh, maybe. Ask Ivo..."_

_Ivo?_ Sonic thought. _What an odd name._ Knowing that he may-or-may-not have supposed to have heard that, since it sounded like Shadow had covered the mouthpiece of the phone. "Still there?"

"_Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry, Sonic, I'm just talking to Rouge. Can you hang on a second?"_

"Sure," he replied, sighing as he heard the phone on the other side be set down, fuzzy voices indistinguishable through the faint static of the line. He tapped his foot as he glanced around the room, taking in the little things that he had missed in his daze before- the three pairs of running shoes lined up under the bottom bunk. The top drawer of Knuckles' dresser that was still slightly open. A hair brush on top of his dresser- the last one he'd owned before giving up on them completely.

He sighed heavily, taking a step before he ducked his head so he could sit on his former bed, laying back, torso on the mattress and legs hanging off. The bed was much too small, now- he'd grown a good four to six inches since he'd last laid on it. Reaching up and idly tracing the metal mesh holding up the mattress above him, he waited for a response for the other line.

After a few moments, it came. _"Sonic? Are you still there?"_

"Mmhm," the younger hedgehog replied.

"_I'm sorry about that. Anyway, it seems that we can go, after all."_

"Really?" Sonic asked, frowning. "If you have to check in or whatever, I mean, I understand."

"_No, it seems that we will not be needed as we had believed before. It's no problem, and..." _The teen on the other side sighed, his voice lowering to a quiet murmur. _"I've missed you. I've not been sleeping well lately, and I think it will be good to relax."_

_Yeah, relax,_ Sonic thought wearily, thinking of the note in his pocket, the not-yet-faced skeletons that they both carried and Knuckles' less-than-relaxing plans. "I've missed you, too. I... this place... just..." Sonic trailed off into silence.

Shadow hummed, letting out a soft sigh. _"I'll be there soon. What's the address?"_

Sonic rattled off the street name and number, as well as the apartment number and the instruction to take the stairs, since the elevator got stuck frequently and all inhabitants of the building knew better by now than to take it. That, at least, got a faint chuckle from the other, along with the promise to be there as soon as he could.

Sonic ended the call after saying his goodbyes, maneuvering off the bed and back to his feet, turning off the light as he returned to the kitchen to report the new of the others' impending arrival.

Mood partially lightened, he couldn't help but smile faintly when he noticed Knuckles toying with the box in his pocket.

* * *

All the kids were fascinated by exploring the house, poking their heads in and out of rooms (though Tails kept any shenanigans out of Tikal's former room)- though they were most interested in the living space which had once belonged to their caretakers.

Tails and Milo crawled all over the bunk bed, Cream content to stay on the floor (her mom was scheduled to work that night, and her brothers were staying with a friend) while Amy poked around the closet. Chip closely inspected all things shiny and those he found interesting, taking a particular interest in- of all things- a book of architecture that Amy had found. Sonic was pretty sure that it actually belonged to Tails, who eventually climbed down, followed by his brother, and pointed out certain structures to the violet-haired teen.

Silver and Blaze eventually wandered down the hallway as well, food being kept warm in the oven as they waited for the others to show up. Amy and Cream followed them into their room, which had a single bed on either wall and two matching dressers on either side of the window- the room could easily be divided by the center and would be completely identical, aside from the bedspreads- mossy green for Silver and a bright fire-patterned cover for Blaze.

If the kids thought it was weird that the two shared a room, they certainly didn't express it- they knew as well as Sonic and Knuckles did that Silver and Blaze were always together, attached at the hip and essentially had the same mind, though they still denied any attraction between them. Everyone knew just as well, though, the way that they would look at each other when they thought that no one was watching.

Sonic and Knuckles decided to relocate to the kitchen in favor of grabbing something to snack on. They hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, and all the cleaning earlier had worn them out. Sonic grabbed a handful of raw baby carrots out of the fridge, chowing down with enthusiasm that he had never been able to pass on to the kids for the orange vegetables. Knuckles simply opened the oven and grabbed a french fry, hissing as it burnt his fingers and closing the appliance, both relocating to the dining room and sitting in their respective chairs.

"So, you're going to do it tonight, right?" Sonic asked. "I saw the that look earlier. Do you have any plans that I should keep in mind so I can keep the others away?"

Knuckles smiles a little, raising and dropping one shoulder. "I dunno. I was thinking of taking her out to the balcony."

"Which?" Sonic asked.

"The one outside my dad's old room. It's bigger and has a better view of the city."

Sonic nodded. "Yeah, the one outside out room was pretty small- it could barely hold two people. Not to mention, climbing out a window isn't very romantic."

"True," Knuckles replied. "You don't have any shenanigans planned, do you?" He redhead shot his friend an amused glance, carefully eating his french fry once it was cool enough.

"Nah," Sonic answered. "Wouldn't want to steal your fire. And, even if I did, I wouldn't do it here... no offense."

"None taken," the echidna-hybrid said. "I normally wouldn't do it here, but I think Tikal would have liked Rouge a lot. And I feel like if I ask her here, then maybe Tikal will see, y'know? I'd want her to be proud of me."

"She is. Wherever she is, she's definitely proud," the younger assured his friend, finishing the last of his snack. "You've grown up well, and you're a good guy. You're good to the kids, and you're fair. There's no way that she _wouldn't_ be proud."

Knuckles' smile grew a little and he reached over to pat the younger's shoulder. "She'd be proud of you too, you know. She'd be really happy with all the things you've done, both for the city and for the kids." The redhead sighed softly. "She'd like Shadow, too."

Sonic frowned. "How do you know that?"

"Well, she would want you to be happy, no matter what. And, for some reason, I just feel like she would get along with Shadow. She wasn't an aggressive kid- very non-threatening and easy to talk to. Shadow, while being an ass sometimes, really _is_ a good person. And he cares about you a lot. She would respect that."

Sonic's sigh echoed his friend's, resting his chin on his hand, gaze flickering to the empty chair beside the elder hybrid where the redheaded girl would have been sitting, had she been alive. He pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, leaning forward onto his elbows, swallowing back the pain that flared in his chest.

"Hey, man," Knuckles said softly, squeezing his shoulder. "Take it easy. It wasn't your fault."

"I'll always feel like it was my fault, Knuckles," Sonic replied, voice cracking much the way it had earlier. "It _was_. I sent her to her death. We should have just left her home."

"Sonic, sometimes it's just someone's _time_," the redhead replied. "Who's to say that if we left her home, the apartment would have burnt down? I mean, there's no way of knowing what would have happened. All I know is that my sister died with her friends surrounding her. She was happy with that. It wasn't your fault."

"You don't understand," Sonic choked. "It _was_ my fault. She-"

Knuckles cursed as he heard the knocking, standing and motioning for Sonic to move, knowing that the other wouldn't want to be seen in that state. He hated being seen at any moment of weakness, no matter if he was around complete strangers or his closest friends.

Sonic stood, sniffling as he retreated down the hallway, slipping past the others and into Tikal's room. He didn't bother turning the light on, though it was already dark- if he did, the others would know that he was here and would disturb him. Besides, he didn't really need the light- the moon was nearly full and cast enough light into the room that he could see as he sat cross-legged on the mat on the floor, pressing the heels of his hands back to his eyes and attempting to press back the tears that he _knew_ would have to come sometime.

It didn't take Shadow as much time as he expected to find him- about five minutes, at the most. Knuckles must have sold out his location after Sonic had failed to return, though he didn't really blame his best friend.

Sonic heard the door creak open behind him, though his hands over his eyes prevented him from seeing the light from the hall. He tried to quell his sniffling as best as he could, but found himself failing miserably. The door closed, and Sonic almost thought that the other had left before he head soft footsteps the movement of fabric and the other's soft exhale as Shadow sat beside him.

"Sonic," the teen sighed after a few silent moments, and Sonic felt a tug on his sleeve as Shadow pulled him closer. "Come here."

Sonic let himself be pulled in, allowing Shadow to reposition him between his legs in order to be able to wrap his arms around him more easily. His back pressed to Shadow's chest and the other's arms wrapped around him, Sonic wasn't sure whether he was supposed to enjoy the comfort of the gesture or feel guilty. He felt the other exhale behind him, brushing blue hair aside so he could press a gentle kiss to the junction of Sonic's neck and shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Shadow sighed. "And don't even try to tell me that it's nothing, Faker. It's obviously not _nothing_ if it makes you cry. You didn't even cry when you were laying on the floor in that god-awful place, shot twice in the chest and bleeding to death."

Sonic laughed bitterly, though it was more of a hitching of his breath than anything that actually resembled laughter. "This is her room."

Shadow tensed for a moment, not having quite expected _that_, especially since he wasn't entirely sure who _she_ was, other than that she was gone and had meant a great deal to the crying male in his arms- as was made obvious by the fact that he was crying in the first place.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Shadow asked, resting his forehead on Sonic's shoulder and his arms tightening.

Another one of those sounds from the younger made Shadow's chest clench, knowing the pain that the other must have to be going through. "I've never told anyone that didn't already know the story," he replied. "It might be good to do. It might help."

Shadow didn't reply for a while after that, but the slight jingle of a wind chime, reflecting silver in the moonlight, finally made the younger break.

He tried his hardest to recount everything he remembered- before, how it happened, her last words, _everything_- while fighting his way though tears, eventually pulling his hands away from his eyes in favor of turning in Shadow's arms to embrace the other back. When Shadow finally realized that the story was over and the other was rambling, he shushed his lover with a kiss, gently stoking his hair as he felt foreign tears dampen his cheeks.

Sonic pulled away to press his face into Shadow's neck, hands winding in the other's shirt as he tried his hardest to stop crying. Shadow rubbed his hands over Sonic's back, offering comfort as he hummed a nameless tune and carefully rocked the other in his arms. After a while, Sonic's tears slowed to a stop, the only thing left was the younger's sniffling as he attempted to recover from the episode that was long overdue.

"Are you okay?" Shadow asked, resting his chin atop his lover's head.

"Yeah," Sonic replied. "I mean... Knuckles refuses to blame me for it, but it was my fault. I got her to go, and then she took the bullets for me. She sacrificed herself to save my life. How could I possibly not have that on my conscience?"

"I don't know," the dark-haired boy replied. "But I _do_ know that you will get through this, Sonic. The pain will always be there, but it gets manageable. You don't forget about it, but you learn how to live around it and make the best of the present, rather than dwelling on the past."

The wind chime jingled again, sending Sonic into peals of slightly-waterlogged laughter.

"What is it?" Shadow asked.

"She said that the wind chime was how the spirits announced their presence," Sonic replied after a moment. "And that's how she knew that they had something to say to her."

"It's no coincidence," the dark-haired boy replied. "Perhaps she's here. I doubt that she would want you to be sad, correct?"

"That's true," Sonic replied. "I guess I just wasn't ready yet."

Shadow kissed Sonic's temple, stroking his hair and allowing the other to move away once he was ready, sitting back on his heels and scrubbing at his eyes with the backs of his hands. "So, what now?"

"It's almost nine," Shadow answered. "The others were eating when I arrived."

"Wow, it's getting late," Sonic sighed, swallowing and clearing his voice when it cracked. "I should probably get something to eat."

"Alright." Shadow stood, offering a hand to Sonic, who took it gratefully and pulled himself to his feet. Before he could completely catch his balance, though, Shadow grabbed him- one arm sliding around his waist and another threading into his hair as he was very thoroughly kissed.

Shadow pulled back after a few long moments, a combination smirk-smile on his face.

Sonic scowled. "Why did you kiss me? My eyes are all puffy and I sound gross and I'm a mess."

The elder rolled his eyes, kissing Sonic on the cheek. "To me, you're always stunning. Now, come on, let's go."

When they left the room, the door was kept open, the wind chime trilling happily in the moonlight.

* * *

Sonic recovered quickly once he had food in his stomach, which Shadow found endlessly amusing. He commented that perhaps Sonic was more like Chip than he thought and, "At least if I ever anger you, I know how to fix it."

Sonic was not pleased, but everyone else seemed to find it hilarious.

After dinner was done, alcohol came next, though sparingly. They decided that the majority of the drinking would be left until after midnight, not to celebrate the end of 2110, but the beginning of 2111. How Blaze and Silver had caught onto Knuckles' mindset, Sonic wasn't quite sure, but he figured that since they had been in the group for so long, instant understanding just had to come around at some point.

It worked out well, though, since Rouge was more entertained by the kids and Shadow drank extremely sparingly, at best. The teens each had one beverage apiece, other than Silver, who had two- but he was the oldest, anyway, and held his alcohol the best- and spent most of the time leading up to midnight goofing off and watching late-night television.

At eleven-forty-five, Knuckles and Sonic shared a look. The twins noticed, of course, but kept it to themselves, grinning at each other before they turned back to the television. Shadow, also, picked up on the look and shot one of his own at Sonic, who tried and failed to smother a grin when Knuckles stood, taking a surprised Rouge by the hand and leading her down the hall.

Shadow looked alarmed, moving closer to Sonic on the couch and hissed, "What's going on?"

Sonic full-out grinned and shook his head, Tails and Milo turning in their seats and shooting the blue-haired hybrid a quadruple thumbs-up. Silver snorted and rolled his eyes, heading to the kitchen and returning with two beers, one for himself and one for Blaze. They popped off the caps and clinked bottles, matching smirks on their faces as they sipped their beverages.

Shadow glared at Sonic who rolled his eyes, finally realizing that his ever-silent boyfriend was really concerned, and stood himself to pull the other aside into the bedroom he and Knuckles used to share, flicking on the light.

"What's going on?" Shadow growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, hopefully Knuckles is going to make Rouge and exceedingly happy woman," Sonic replied with a grin.

Shadow's eyes narrowed- Sonic suddenly realized how it sounded and laughed.

"With something shiny," Sonic added. "Very shiny."

Shadow's eyes narrowed more in confusion before they widened comically, Sonic snorting at the look on the surprised teen's face. "Are you serious?"

"Why would I joke about that?" Sonic retorted. "I _know_ he loves her and I'm pretty damn sure that she loves him."

"She does," Shadow conceded, still looking uncertain. "Sonic, are you absolutely _sure_ that Knuckles is serious? It's just-"

"_Yes,_ I'm sure. I've known Knuckles for more than half my life. And don't worry- for now, it's only marriage. They'll talk about other things later. There's no need to defend the girl's honor yet, and I'm quite positive that she could do it herself, even so." Sonic laughed. "Seriously, don't worry."

Shadow fidgeted slightly before he sighed, glancing around the room. "Whose was this?"

"You can't tell?" Sonic asked with a grin. "Mine and Knuckles', of course. We bunked together here _way_ before we did at school."

Shadow blinked, tilting his head and viewing the room in a new light. "How long has it been since you stayed here?"

"Three years, give-or-take," Sonic answered. "We came in this morning and spent all day cleaning. Other than that, everything is untouched. It was all exactly where we left it."

Shadow 'hm'ed thoughtfully, inspecting the group of gold medals, ribbons tied together and looped around one of the posts. "Are these all for running?"

"Mmhm. Those are from the first year I starting running sport. There are others, but I don't remember where they are."

Shadow snorted. "You _would_ have so many medals that you lose them."

Sonic shrugged, grinning, and crossed his arms, stepping aside to let Shadow have his fun. The dark-haired boy explored the room much as the kids had earlier, but when his eyes set on the guitar case leaning against the window, the rest was history.

Shadow crossed the room, touching the case lightly and turning to Sonic. "Do you play?"

The blue-haired boy shook his head. "No. Knuckles did a little, but he never really got into it. The guitar belonged to his mother- Tikal played it a lot, but it was relocated into here when we took Tails in. He crawled everywhere, and she didn't want it to get knocked over."

Shadow tilted his head slightly to the side. "Can I look at it?"

"Yeah, sure," Sonic replied, sitting himself on the window ledge. "No one has touched it for years, though, so it'll probably be out of tune. Especially since it was near the window."

Shadow shrugged, unzipping the case and removing the instrument inside. The edges were a deep red, fading into orange, an engraved turtleshell-pattern plating lain on the body.

"Wow, this is old," Shadow said in surprise, fingers tracing the plate, swirls, flowers and a tiny bird engraved on.

"Antique?" Sonic asked.

"It's an Epiphone Hummingbird- not an expensive guitar, but a decent one, and an old model, at that." His fingers skimmed the neck of the guitar, strumming it once before laying his fingers over the strings. "It's held it's tune pretty well."

Sonic smiled, watching as Shadow adjusted the pegs to the proper pitch, sitting on the legde himself before he glanced out the window behind them. "There's a balcony?"

"It's more like a ledge," Sonic corrected with a laugh. "It's really small." Seeing the contemplative look on the other's face, he asked, "Want to go out?"

Shadow blinked, frowning. "Isn't it cold?"

Sonic shrugged. "It's about forty- nothing we can't handle, at least for a few minutes. I'm sure the guitar can hold up, too."

The elder frowned, glancing down at the instrument before he looked hack at his boyfriend. "I don't know, Sonic..."

"Oh, come on," the younger teased, pulling the window open. "Live a little. It's only for a few minutes, anyway- and there are supposed to be fireworks around midnight, which, may I remind you, is coming up fast. Now, come on!"

Shadow rolled his eyes, swinging around with the guitar in hand, ducking under the window and sock-clad feet touching down on a small concrete ledge, about three feet wide and six feet long- barely big enough to hold two boys and a guitar, but they managed as they sat cross-legged, looking out at what could be seen of the city. Cars passing, layers of lights and sounds all crushed on top of each other.

Shadow's eyes were wide as he took it all in, Sonic grinning at his stunned expression. "It's Unified Chaos," Sonic said. "This city. There are so many contradictions, but they all piece together in a way that makes this place unique."

"Unified Chaos," Shadow repeated, frowning. "Like us."

Sonic grinned, suddenly realizing that he _had_ made the right choice- Shadow understood it in a way that no one else ever would. Shadow understood _him_ like no one ever would. "Yeah. Like us."

Shadow smiled a little, looking over at Sonic and looking out at the city before it started to fade.

"What's wrong?" Sonic asked. "'And don't say it's nothing, Faker'."

Shadow laughed a little. "I haven't been sleeping well."

"Yeah, you said that earlier," the blue-haired boy replied, shifting to get comfortable. "What's up?"

The dark-haired teen frowned, fingers moving over the frets without strumming, focusing on the movement of his fingers on the guitar. "I've been having nightmares."

Sonic's voice softened. "About?"

Shadow sighed heavily, rolling his neck and wiggling his fingers before he turned to Sonic with a sad smile. "You. Mephiles. Everything that happened." He paused, eyes closing and opening again. "It's like... every time I close my eyes, I see it all over again- you being shot, me killing him. The things he said, they just... I feel like I'll never completely understand."

"I dob't think anyone will _ever_ entirely understand what was happening in that man's mind, Shadow," the younger hybrid replied. "He was... I don't know how to explain it. Crazy, I guess, but that's not really it, either. What it comes down to is that he was not a healthy man, Shadow." He shot his boyfriend a sympathetic glance. "Or a good influence in your life. But he was still your brother, and that's bound to have some effect on you."

"I know." Shadow took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I just... feel... like I made the wrong choice, somehow."

Sonic reached out to brush his fingers along Shadow's arm, hearing the tension in his voice. Though Sonic had overcome his issues today, Shadow wasn't yet ready- and maybe never _would_ be entirely ready- to let go. Even so, Sonic knew that he wasn't going anywhere- not now, not ever. "You did what you had to do, Shad. No one blames you for that- and I _thank_ you for that. You did what had to be done for this city and for yourself, even in the face of doubt. That's what a hero does- the right thing."

Shadow frowned, nodding- "I guess you're right."

They were silent for a few minutes, the wind whistling past them and stealing body heat, Sonic beginning to shiver.

"I've spent almost every night awake since that day," Shadow said suddenly. "And I've been working on a piece- it's not entirely finished yet, and I haven't written all the parts, and it _does_ require two voices at the end, but..." He glanced at Sonic uncertainly. "Do you want to hear it?"

A slow smile spread over Sonic's face- he hadn't heard Shadow play since that night a few months ago, and never anything that he'd written himself. He would be an idiot to turn Shadow down, even if he wanted to.

He nodded. "Yeah."

A smile quirked Shadow's lips. He sighed, bending his fingers a few times to get the blood moving before he put his fingers to the frets and started to play.

_"You wanted everything for me_

_Even the things I couldn't see_

_I held on for so long, but now_

_I can't do that anymore_

**_o0o_**

_I'm moving on and I am free_

_From all the things you said to me_

_I'm going to make my own way_

_It's what I'm fighting for_

**_o0o_**

_And all the promises you made are broken_

_And all the doors you'd hoped to close are open_

_And all the things you tore apart, I'm starting to mend_

_But it will take time until they're mine_

**_o0o_**

_And you are out of sight_

_And out of mind_

**_o0o_**

_For so long I was so blind_

_To whether I was yours or mine_

_I bent until you broke me_

_Now I'm standing up again_

**_o0o_**

_You treated me like I was young_

_And hoped to move me for so long_

_But to be truly selfless_

_Is a parent's sacrifice_

**_o0o_**

_And all the promises you made are broken_

_And all the doors you hoped to close are open_

_And all the things you tore apart, I'm starting to mend_

_But it will take time until they're mine_

**_o0o_**

_And you are out of sight_

_And out of mind_

**_o0o_**

_And I don't know what I should say anymore_

_The child you held on to has run out the door_

_I was your Sun, you were my Moon_

_You controlled all the tides of my life_

**_o0o_**

_I won't let you hold on_

_And now you're finally gone_

**_o0o_**

_And all the promises you made are broken_

_(And all the promises you made)_

_And all the doors you hoped to close are open_

_(All the doors unlocked and I am free)_

_And all the things you tore apart, I'm starting to mend_

_But it will take time until they're mine_

**_o0o_**

_And you are out of sight_

_And out of mind_

**_o0o_**

_And all the promises you made are broken_

_(All of your fake promises)_

_And all the doors you hoped to close are open_

_(I won't take it anymore)_

_And all the things you tore apart, I'm starting to mend_

_(I was your Sun, you were my Moon, controlling the tides of my life)_

_But it will take time until they're mine_

_(I'm taking back my life from you)_

**_o0o_**

_And you are out of sight_

_And out of mind_

**_o0o_**

_(Out of mind, out of your mind, out of my mind_

_And it's over now, tonight)."_

The smile on Sonic's face was huge but sad, and he leaned over when Shadow was done to kiss him, his scarred hand linking in one of Shadow's, who leaned into him as well. They exchanged a few long, slow presses of lips before a sudden _boom_ overhead startled them apart- the fireworks had started.

It was the start of another year.

Sonic grinned at Shadow, who smiled back, leaning back against the wall to watch the sky when Sonic remembered what Tails had passed to him earlier. Shifting enough to he could fish the letter out of his back pocket, he pulled it out of the envelope, reading the note by the flashes of colored light in the sky.

_Sonic,_

_ If you're reading this, then I'm dead. I had a dream last night about what happened in the clearing, and I'm still determined to go- especially because I saw what happens if I _don't_ go, and I can't allow myself to put that kind of future on the city you love, even if its happiness is at the cost of my life. Station Square is home, no matter where we come from._

_Keep your head up- you're going to find someone wonderful, Sonic, and they will be perfect for you. There are so many things that are waiting for you in the future, so I hope you take advantage of them all. Don't miss out on a thing- and if you don't want to try something, then try it for me._

_You mean so very much to me, Sonic. Don't be sad for what I've done. Just look to the future in anticipation of the things that are waiting for you there. _

_Don't let Union fall apart- your friends and family will be the most important people you can ever know. _

_And, Sonic, embrace Chaos. It may be hard at times, and you may not always agree, but do not let it go. It's a treasure the likes of which, if you give up, you will never see again._

_All my love,_

_ Tikal_

Sonic smiled, folding the letter and replacing it in its envelope and into his pocket, where it would stay safe. Tikal had been right already about so many things- he planned to wait and see what else she was right about. He didn't understand all that she'd written, but he'd understood enough, and that was all that mattered.

"Let's go inside," Sonic suggested, smiling at his boyfriend. "You're shivering."

"Yeah," Shadow replied, handing the guitar to Sonic so he could crawl in the window, taking it back once he was safely on the other side and zipping it back in its case. Sonic crawled back into the room, closing the window behind them. When he turned, Shadow abruptly kiss-attacked him for the second time that night, though that kiss as well was interrupted by a very excited teenager's voice.

Sonic and Shadow separated, smiling, hands linked.

"What was that for?" Sonic asked softly.

"New Year's kiss," Shadow replied with a mischievous grin. "It's tradition, or so I'm told."

"Then, I like that tradition," Sonic replied, leaning in for another quick kiss before they pulled apart.

Hands still linked, they left the room to find an excited crowd of kids around a beaming Rouge, proudly showing off the ring on her finger, Knuckles grinning like an idiot with his arm around her waist. When she finally stopped chattering enough to herd everyone into the kitchen, they popped open a bottle of champagne (that exploded everywhere, in true New Year's style), pouring the alcohol into every kind of cup they could scavenge- coffee mugs, shot glasses, wine glasses and plastic cups, passing it out among the older teens and including Chip and Amy, just for the heck of it. The other kids were perfectly content with sparkling grape juice, the sugar keeping them up for a while before they crashed, one by one.

It was a good thing that school didn't start back up for another few days, because Sonic was pretty damn sure that they all were going to need a few days to recover.

Even so, when the kids were all asleep and covered up on the floor, Blaze and Silver retreated to their old room (though in the morning, they would find themselves crammed into one bed, thankfully clothed), Knuckles and Rouge stretching out on the almost-comfortable pull-out couch.

As for Sonic and Shadow, they ended up on the old leather sofa, curled together to the point where neither could quite figure out how they got like that in the first place. Shadow, for all his complaining, fell asleep surprisingly fast and slept through the night (though whether or not the alcohol had anything to do with that, he wasn't quite sure). Sonic, however, lay with his head on his someday-mate's chest for quite some time, listening to the slow and steady thump of Shadow's heartbeat and the distant song of a wind chime.

As he faded to sleep some time later, he wasn't entirely aware of the process. However, the last thought that he _was_ aware of was one of happiness and content, just before his eyes closed for the first time of the new year.

_I'll give everything I have to protect this._


End file.
